Nothing But Trouble
by bsbvinphan
Summary: What happens when Dom and Leon try to domesticate Hector's wild sisters?
1. Parts 1 -5

Firstly, the disclaimer: Because slavery was abolished during the Civil War, owning people is unlawful and actually pretty useless, so owning imaginary people probably has the same degree of unpracticality, which means that the original characters from The Fast and the Furious aren't mine. Everyone else is fictitious. Second, this story is written in first-person P.O.V format, but the P.O.V. changes from Zoraida to Mercedes with each new part. Basically, Z's parts are odd, while Mercedes' are even. Enjoy!!   
  
Part 1   
  
"Ah Z, come on…" my brother said, giving me a sad puppy face.   
  
"Hector, no. We don't have time to baby-sit your little criminal friends," I explained. He scoffed, but went back to his food.   
  
"Mercedes?" he asked, hopefully, looking at our sister. She turned to me and I shook my head "no."   
  
"Sorry bro, can't do it," she said simply.   
  
"Fine, fuck you then," he said playfully, "both of ya."   
  
"Hector, Hector, Hector," I said, sighing. He looked at me with the same big eyes, to which I replied, "Eat your food."   
  
After dinner was finished, Hector and Mercedes went outside to check out the latest addition to our little family, Shannon. I watched them from the open kitchen window, where I stood, washing the dishes.   
  
"She's beautiful," Hector commented, looking at the car in front of him.   
  
"She sure is," Mercedes said. The cherry-red Hemi Cuda stared at us all from the small, one car garage. I threw the remaining dishes into the cabinets then raced outside to admire our latest conquest.   
  
"Don't you love this car?" Mercedes asked after a few moments of silent awe.   
  
"Hell yes!" Hector exclaimed. He moved closer to the car and reached out to touch the shiny metal, but jerked his hand away quickly. His eyes were on us, silently pleading for permission to touch it. I snickered a bit when I saw Mercedes roll her eyes. Still feeling Hector's gaze fixed on my decision, I looked at Mercedes and we both smiled.   
  
"Oh, all right," I said, exaggerating each word as I pulled the ball chain over my head which bore the keys to every car in our possession. I tossed it to him, and I watched his eyes light up when he caught the necklace. He smiled and went to the door, fumbling with the key.   
  
"Jesus, fucker!" Mercedes said, rushing to his aid, "You're gonna scratch it all up!" she rolled her eyes again and snatched the key from him. She pushed him out of the way and unlocked the car.   
  
"Move, I'm dirivin," he said, trying to push her out of the way.   
  
"The hell you are!" she replied, pushing him back. They argued for a few minutes before he finally knew he was defeated and sauntered around to the passenger's side.   
  
"Whoa, 'scuse me," I said when he started to settle in the front seat. "Do you need help?" I asked, grabbing the door before he closed it.   
  
"With what?"   
  
"Gettin into the fuckin child seat," Mercedes said. I slapped his shoulder for emphasis.   
  
"You, you've gotta be joking," he said, highly annoyed.   
  
"Is there a smile on my face?" I asked. He rolled his eyes. "Get in the backseat."   
  
"Fine, fuck!" he said, lunging out of the car. I took his seat and shut the door. I smiled at him as he stared at me.   
  
"Yes?" I asked, batting my eyelashes.   
  
"Are ya gonna let me in?" he asked irately. I laughed and hopped out of the car.   
  
"I was just playin, bro. Have fun." I walked back to the house where I'd be safe and watched as Mercedes slammed into gear and tore off into the sunset at breakneck speed. It was like something out of a movie.   
  
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Part 2   
  
"Mercedes..." my brother started.   
  
"Shh!" I hushed. "Listen," I whispered.   
  
"To what?"  
  
"She's talkin," I said excitedly. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Hector roll his eyes. I smiled to myself. I loved my brother so much, but he annoyed me with the little things he did.   
  
"Listen," he started again.   
  
"No I won't listen, Z doesn't wanna baby-sit and I have to go along with her," I said.   
  
"Why do you always have to go along with her?!" he practically yelled.   
  
"Don't yell at me," I said, childishly. My childish voices always found a place in Hector's heart.   
  
"I'm not yelling. I just need this favor from you. Please?" I took a deep breath and looked at him.   
  
"I can't," I refused, shaking my head.   
  
"Come on Mercedes! I need you!" I looked at him. His big brown eyes, begging and pleading. I turned back to the road and rolled down my window. I loved feeling the wind in my hair, it always helped me think; something I was never very good at. I wanted to help my brother, like always, and like always my sister was against it. I usually had to go along with everything she said because she was bigger than me and older. But I loved my brother... I didn't know what to do.   
  
"Hector..." I started.   
  
"Please?" he pleaded once more. I took a deep breath and looked at him, his eyes were again begging. I hated his big brown eyes; they always effected my decisions on things.   
  
"Aright fine, but if they get in my way or annoy me, I will straight up kick them out," I said as sternly as I could. Needless to say, I sucked at sounding mean.   
  
"Agreed," Hector said excitedly. I answered him before I thought of this: what was Z gonna think?   
  
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Part 3   
  
"Damn it Mercedes," I said as we pulled into the Juarez International Airport parking garage. I paid the toll and cruised into a parking space. We got to the terminal in time to see the plane taxiing and preparing to pull up to the jet-way.   
  
"I cannot believe you said yes," I said, more annoyed at having to drive so far out of the way than anything else.   
  
"Well, I'm sorry," she said, crossing her arms. I rolled my eyes and swatted her arm playfully.   
  
"Quit poutin, I ain't mad," I told her, flashing a silly smile. She shook her head and waited with me by the window.   
  
The intercom was signaled by a buzz. We stopped talking to hear what was being said.   
"Flight number 4421, from Los Angeles has now landed," an electronic-sounding voice said, first in Spanish, then English, and then a few other languages.   
  
"Peachy," I said sarcastically. We moved a little closer to the door and got ready to greet the two men Hector had asked us to take in.   
  
"Holy shit…" Mercedes said. She sounded a bit worried and when I gaze her a quizzical look, she pointed to a pair of men who had been the first to step off of the plane.   
  
"You have got to be kidding me," I said as I watched the men. Both had dark, heavy rimmed glasses and crazy Hawaiian shirts on, with matching khaki shorts. The taller one was stocky and round, while the shorter seemed to be all bone. They stood, looking around, tapping flip-flop clad feet impatiently.   
  
"Fuck!" Mercedes hissed. We looked at each other and each took a deep breath before we started in their direction.   
  
"Well what the hell?" we heard a gravel-like voice ask loudly. "What do ya know? Our first trip to Mexico and no one to pick us up!" I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. Mercedes and I looked at each other and turned quickly to see two finer specimens standing by the door.   
  
"Oh shit," we simultaneously said quietly. We started to move closer to them, and I looked at my sister with a bit of excitement before going back to my stolid glares. The man who was talking had on a white t-shirt and visor, with a toothpick dangling from his lips like a cigarette, while the other, who was silent, was wearing a black t-shirt and was running his hand over his face, obviously trying to wake himself up.   
  
"You Leon and Dominic?" Mercedes asked them ruggedly.   
  
"Depends. You Zoraida and Mercedes?" the man who'd been talking asked. I nodded.   
  
"Get your shit and let's go," Mercedes said coldly. The two of us turned and walked in front of them, heading to the baggage claim, smiling at each other. I knew we'd have fun tormenting these guys, but how long could we keep up the act?   
  
A time later, we were back at our little house with the two men. I showed them a place to sleep then went to talk to my sister about our next job. Dominic and Leon took the liberty of giving themselves the grand tour of the place while Mercedes and I sat in the kitchen. Over the course of an hour and half a bottle of Cuervo, we'd mapped out our night. I smiled and leaned back in my chair, propping it against the small refrigerator when a loud noise erupted, making me jump and fall out of the chair. Mercedes laughed at me, but we made our way outside as quickly as we could.   
  
"What the hell was that?" I asked, knowing well what it was. I was staring at the black Lamborghini we'd heisted a few nights earlier. The rickety garage door had been opened manually, resulting in the booming sound, and standing before it was none other than Leon, whose mouth was gaping.   
  
He started to speak, but choked and sputtered on his words so badly that I just rolled my eyes and took a cautious seat on the hood, trying to keep the rivets on my jeans from scratching the paint.   
  
"Z!" Mercedes said sternly, "Up."   
  
"Fine, fine," I said, standing. She released her breath when I was totally off of the car and I rolled my eyes. I looked at Leon, who was still in awe of our beautiful car.   
  
"Where did you get this?" he asked breathily. He seemed to be having trouble remembering how to talk and breathe at the same time.   
  
"We stole it," I said plainly, walking back to the house.   
  
"You what?" he asked, unconvinced.   
  
"We… stole… it," Mercedes repeated, stressing each word slowly.   
  
"You didn't steal this car," he said matter-of-factly.   
  
"You wanna bet, fucker?" I heard my sister challenge. She was always very protective of our cars and dared everyone to dispute our line of work.   
  
"Why don't you tell me how you really got that car?" I heard as I entered the kitchen door. Dominic was standing at the sink, watching Leon and Mercedes as they bickered.   
  
"Are you deaf?" I asked, walking past him to the fridge, "We stole it."   
  
"No fuckin way," he stated, like he was quoting a price rather than disputing my answer.   
  
"Aright, if you say so, hot shot," I said, taking a bottle of water out of the machine. I grabbed the necessary ingredients and set to making coffee. If we were gonna do this job, we had to do it right, we had to do it sober.   
  
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Part 4   
  
I didn't know what was wrong with me. I'd never been so preoccupied while talking about a job with my sister. All I could think about were the two men we were housing. The one that really caught my eye was the guy who called himself Leon. He was gorgeous. It was his eyes mostly, so green... beautiful. The fact that he never took a toothpick out of his mouth bothered me a little, but I learned to deal.   
  
"Mercedes... Mercedes!" my sister yelled.   
  
"What?" I asked, not knowing if she'd been talking to me for the past five minutes.   
  
"Are you listening to me?" she asked, obviously knowing the answer. After all, she was the brains of the operation.   
  
"Not really," I said softly, sinking in my chair.   
  
"You need to pay attention," she advised.   
  
"Oh shut up. I know the tools, you know the computer stuff, we're good to go," I said. She looked at me coldly, I hated that look. "I'm sorry," I apologized, sinking even lower in my chair.   
  
"Hello ladies," a rough voice said. My sister and I looked up to see Leon and Dom walk into the kitchen.   
  
"What do you two want?" my sister rudely asked. I glared at her only because I knew she wouldn't see me.   
  
"It's a kitchen, what do you think we want?" Dom asked. I smiled a little.   
  
"Don't get cute with me," Z warned.   
  
"Ok, I think it's time for us to leave," I said, standing and pulling my sister out of her chair.   
  
"Where ya goin?" Leon asked, smiling.   
  
"Somewhere you're not," Z said.   
  
"Out, we're going out," I answered as I continued pulling Z to the door.   
  
"Can we come?" Leon asked.   
  
"No!" my sister and I yelled at the same time. We got outside and Z got in the car as I went to the garage and grabbed my book bag that was full of tools for our job.   
  
"Come, let us go," Leon said as he and Dom followed us.   
  
"No," I answered, storming toward my beautiful red and black Hemi Cuda.   
  
"Why not?"   
  
"Can't you take no for an answer?" I yelled.   
  
"Obviously not," he said. I tossed the bag into the backseat and opened the front door.   
  
"I'll remember that," I said, getting in and slamming the door shut. I turned the key, put my hand on the gearshift, and pulled out of the driveway. Once I was pointed in the direction we were heading, I shifted and slammed my foot on the gas causing the tires to squeal as we sped down the road.   
  
"God, I love that sound," I said as I rolled down my window.   
  
"Who do they think they are?" Z asked, looking out her window.   
  
"Who?" I asked.   
  
"Don't act like you don't know," she said.   
  
"Come on Z, they're probably bored. I'd wanna go somewhere too!" I yelled in their defense.   
  
"Callate," she hushed, putting her highly decorated hand up.   
  
"Don't tell me to shut up just because that's the only thing you know how to say in Spanish!"   
  
"We're here," she said. I pulled up to the curb as we both stared at the garage door that held the car we were about to steal.   
  
I looked around before giving my sister the go ahead. She reached to the floorboard and pulled out a laptop computer. She opened it and began typing swiftly; bringing up different screens with internal and external pictures of the Corvette in the garage. She passed all that and came to a picture of a garage. I smiled as she pressed some number and the garage door on the computer opened as did the one in front of us.   
  
"We're in," she said.   
  
"Obviously," I said as I reached in the back and grabbed the bag. We got out and headed for the now exposed Vette. I unzipped my bag and pulled out a long piece of metal with a handle and two very tiny, sharp ends with a small indent between them. I handed it to Z and walked to the front of the car, opening the hood. I performed a series of rewiring and attached a small battery to the only remaining wire.   
  
"Go," I said. I shut the hood just as Z started the car. I ran back to the Hemi Cuda and jumped in. When my sister pulled out I reached over and pressed the spacebar on the laptop and the garage door on the computer closed followed by the now empty one in front of me. I headed down the road; following the light blue Corvette in front of me.   
  
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Part 5   
  
"Holy fuckin shit," Leon said as I climbed out of the Corvette. I ran my hand along the side panel as I slowly made my way to the front of the car.   
  
"Ain't she pretty?" I asked, seating myself on the edge of the hood while I waited on   
Mercedes.   
  
"Whoo!" we screamed in unison as soon as she emerged from her car. I smiled and we continued hollering. We obviously woke Dom, because he rushed out of the house and was at the garage with lightning speed.   
  
"Where the hell did that come from?" he asked, his body inches away from Mercedes. She turned and looked at me incredulously.   
  
"Listen boy, you better back outta my face before you get hurt," she said roughly. I chuckled a little as he took a step back. I rolled my eyes and grabbed her arm. As I pulled her into the house, we laughed. She went immediately to her room and I to mine, only to come out soon after, decked out in full party apparel.   
  
"Where you goin now?" Leon asked.   
  
"Are you my daddy?" I asked. He shook his head. "Is this your place? Does your ass pay the rent?"   
  
"No," he said plainly.   
  
"Then don't worry about where we're goin," I said. Mercedes gave me a hard stare.   
  
"Jesus, why you such a bitch?" Leon asked, throwing his arms in the air as he turned to head back to the living room.   
  
"Why you so damn nosy?" I asked, mocking his movements. Mercedes smiled.   
  
"Why don't you come with us?" she asked. My jaw dropped, but Leon turned to look at us.   
  
"Seriously?" he asked. Mercedes looked at me for approval, but I shook my head no. She sighed and rolled her eyes at me, then turned her face back to an awaiting Leon.   
  
"Sure," she said, smiling. I huffed, but went unnoticed.   
  
"Aright, just gimme a second…" he said, rummaging through a suitcase of his. He jogged into the bathroom and we soon heard the shower running.   
Minutes later, he came out, ready to go. His clothes clung to his damp body and beads of water rolled down his face from his hair. Mercedes turned to me and bit her lip, bending her knees a bit. I shook my head and smiled.   
  
"Let's roll," she said after he finished putting on his shoes.   
  
"Aright, see ya dawg," Leon called as we went outside.   
  
"I'm takin my car," I announced, climbing into the Corvette. Mercedes and Leon took over the Hemi Cuda and sped off. Just as I was ready to do the same, the passenger door opened.   
  
"You didn't think you'd go out without me again, did you?" Dom asked, giving me a playful grin. I smirked back and rolled my eyes, slamming down the gas pedal and speeding down the road.   
  
"Hey baby!" I yelled through the open passenger window. We'd pulled up next to Mercedes and Leon at a light.   
  
"Hey girl! I dunno where you learned to drive, but you're in the lane of oncoming traffic," she shouted back. We laughed and sat back, waiting for the light to turn green. The traffic signal heeded our request and we sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in our wake.   
  
"Whoa, slow the hell down," Dom said as we took a sharp turn at high speed.   
  
"Hey, hey, no, I thought you were Mr. Speed?" I asked, looking at him expectantly.   
  
"Yeah, well, that's my old life. I'd like to have a new one, if you don't mind," he said, the volume of his voice raising as we hit another turn.   
  
"Well Dom, baby, welcome back to life in the fast lane," I said, turning on the radio to end the conversation. 


	2. Parts 6 -10

Part 6   
  
"So, you're not a bitch?" Leon asked as we continued on our way to the party. I giggled a little because every time I tried to be as hard and as mean as my sister, I always failed and looked stupid. His question was almost a compliment to me.   
  
"No, I'm the nice sister," I said.   
  
"Then why are you always actin like a bitch?" I was getting ready to answer, but I realized I didn't have an answer. I loved being me, but sometimes it seemed to me that it wasn't good enough for my sister. I loved her and everything, but without knowing it, she sometimes tried to make me something I wasn't. I looked at Leon and remained silent. He didn't say anything else about the question so I assumed he got the picture that I didn't wanna talk about it.   
  
"So where are we going?" he asked.   
  
"Right down there," I answered, pointing down the road.   
  
"You like to party?" he asked. A sly smile tugged at my lips as I looked at him.   
  
"I do," I said. An obnoxious horn interrupted our little moment. I jumped and looked in my rear-view mirror to see Z behind me. I rolled my eyes as I sped up and pulled up to the curb in front of the party house. There was music blaring and I could hear girls screaming and laughing.   
  
"Sounds like my kinda place," Leon said, smiling. I turned the car off and we got out to be met by Z and Dom.   
  
"Well where'd you come from?" I asked Dom.   
  
"That nice blue car back there," he answered. I smiled at his smartass comment as we headed inside.   
  
Z opened the door and the people inside began screaming loudly. Z put her hand up and I responded by putting my hand in hers and we walked through the living room, getting greeted by every person there. We were well known in Baja, Mexico. Everybody always needed a car and we were the ones they called on for it. That's how we made our money and our friends.   
  
"Come on! Play somethin worth listening to!" I yelled to the DJ Martin. He laughed at me as he flipped a record in the air and put it on the turntable.   
  
"What's my motherfuckin name girl!" Ja Rule's voice came on the stereo.   
  
"Woo!" I squealed as Z and I made our way to the middle of the floor to dance.   
Z took Ja Rule's part and I took J-Lo's part and we sang to each other while dancing together. I could feel everyone's eyes on me and I loved the attention, but there were one pair of eyes I hoped was watching me: Leon's. I wasn't gonna turn around and make it obvious that I wanted his attention and I didn't want Z to know because I knew she wouldn't approve.   
  
I suddenly looked to my right and saw someone trying to hand me a joint. Being the drug inducer I was, I went to take it from him. Z slapped my hand and I looked at her.   
  
"Don't even think about it," she warned. I rolled my eyes. Being Zoraida Moreno's sister was embarrassing 95% of the time. She acted like my mother in front of everyone. I was starting to get sick of it.   
  
"Here," I said, walking toward Dom and Leon who were still standing by the door. I grabbed Dom's arm and pulled him to the dance floor in front of Z.   
  
"Dance with him," I said. Her eyes widened and she plastered her famous death stare on me as I smiled and walked to the bar. I knew I was gonna hear it when we went home, but for the time being, I was gonna enjoy myself.   
  
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Part 7   
  
"Whatever," I said. I continued dancing, but worried about my sister nonetheless.   
  
"Z?" I heard a male voice ask. I turned to find Dom.   
  
"What?" I asked curtly. I went back to dancing and completely ignored him until I felt his hands grasp firmly onto my hips.   
  
"Let's dance," he said, spinning me around. I smiled; he was definitely starting to be my kinda guy.   
  
For hours Dom and I danced. So close, touching constantly, it was amazing. Of course, I couldn't afford to get involved with him, but I thought it might be nice to have a few kicks.   
  
"Wanna go outside?" I asked slowly, moving my entire body as close to him as it could get. He took a noticeable breath, making his entire body shudder as it was released.   
  
"Sounds good to me," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. He followed me out to my car and I immediately pushed him against the closed passenger side door. Our hands rolled off of each other with crazy force as I pushed him harder against the car. He held my waist tight and locked his lips onto mine. The breeze was strong and cleared my head within moments.   
  
"What the hell?" I asked, pushing myself away from him. I was overcome with disgust as I looked into his eyes. He raised his arms and had a confused look.   
  
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, his voice deeper than usual, full of desire and frustration.   
  
"That's what I wanna know!" I yelled, running my hands through my hair. I turned away from him and pulled at my hair, trying to think about what had happened.   
  
"Jesus, why are you bein such a bitch?" he yelled back, slamming his fist on the Corvette's side panel. My entire body involuntarily snapped around at the sound of his skin contacting with the metal.   
  
"Oh hell no," I said, wrenching him away from the car as best I could. I rubbed the spot that he'd pounded to examine any damage, but finding none, tromped back into the party, pulling my sister and Leon away in fury.   
  
"What the fuck?" Mercedes yelled as I threw her to her car.   
  
"Get in, we're going home," I said, jumping in my car and speeding off. I could hear her bitching and grumbling as I hopped in and slammed the door. I looked in my rear view to see Dom's fuming figure in front of the red Hemi Cuda.   
  
I slammed on the brakes when I was a few hundred feet away from the house, making the back of the car spin out and stop. I didn't bother taking the keys out of the ignition, but stormed into the house, slamming the front door violently, making the old hinges rattle and squeal. I kicked the wall in an effort to let out my frustration, but must've hit a stud, because it hurt like hell. "Fuck!" I belted out, even more upset with myself. How could I let that swine touch me? I was too good to mingle with the likes of Hector's friends. They were fugitives, for Christ's sake!   
  
"Jesus, Zoraida, get a grip," I admonished, finding my way to the bathroom. I sat on the toilet lid and reached to spin the faucet on. I turned on the shower and nearly ripped my clothes off before stepping in. The water burned my skin, but I didn't pay any attention. I felt dirty and betrayed and needed to get clean. I turned the hot water on full-force and killed the cold. Within seconds, the room was filled with steam and my body was aching from the heat.   
  
The water cooled off a lot sooner than I was happy with, but I stepped out of the shower before it became too cold. I fumbled around for a towel, screaming at myself internally. I finally found something suitable and wrapped it around myself, then stumbled out of the bathroom, kicking the doorjamb with my injured foot in the process. I let out another curse and scrambled for my room, ignoring my sister and the two men in the living room. I could hear her running toward my room, but I slammed the door before she reached it. I yanked a robe out of my closet and pulled it on, turning around just as she was entering the room.   
  
"What?" I asked, full of attitude.   
  
"Excuse me?" she said, matching my demeanor, "You fuckin pull me away from my fun because you're bein a bitch and then you have the nerve to say 'what' to me? Oh hell no," she nearly yelled. I was taken aback by her straightforwardness, but enraged by her presumption.   
  
"Look, I'm havin a hard night, so why don't you just go back out to your little boyfriend and let me calm down before I axe murder that ape on our couch, aright?" I said sarcastically, taking a seat on my bed with my head in my hands. I wiped away a few tears that had materialized on my face.   
  
"Fine, whatever," Mercedes said, dismissing me completely as she slammed my door shut. I jumped at the sound, but ignored everything after that. I let myself go and started crying quietly. Maybe she was right. Maybe I really was a cold, heartless bitch. But then again, what good would it do us for me to have a conscience? We'd have no money and no jobs… But because of our specific line of work, it didn't leave much room for love or companionship. I continued kicking myself mentally as I wept, and eventually cried myself to sleep.   
  
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Part 8   
  
I stomped back to the living room and spun the recliner around so the occupant, Dom, was looking at me. I hated it when my sister was mad and took it out on me, so he was gonna pay.   
  
"What did you do to my sister?!" I yelled, pointing at him. "What?!"   
  
"Hey, I didn't do nothin to her, so you just get that finger outta my face," he answered.   
  
"Well you obviously did somethin, otherwise she wouldn't be in her room cryin!" I yelled, without thinking about what I saying. Dom's eyes widened and he stood. When I realized what I'd just said, I shut my mouth and smiled.   
  
"Did I say crying?" I laughed. "I meant... sewing," I spat out as I walked through the living room and to the kitchen.   
  
"She's crying?" Dom asked as he followed me.   
  
"No, she's sewing," I said, reaching in the sink and starting to wash some dishes.   
  
"Goddamn it Mercedes!" he sighed.   
  
"Goddamn it Dominic!" I yelled, yanking my hands out of the soapy water and splashing him. "Sorry," I laughed.   
  
"Oh yeah, real funny," he said angrily.   
  
"Oh calm down. If you're gonna bitch, do it somewhere else because I have all kinds of knives around here and I'm not afraid to use them," I warned. I knew that I wouldn't use them, but I didn't know if he knew that.   
  
"Fine!" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air and walking out of the kitchen through the swinging door.   
  
"Don't yell at me and push my door open like that," I mumbled to myself, going back to my dishes. "Fuckin bald motherfucker," I continued. "Just cuz he's bigger than me don't mean he can talk to me like that... I'll... yell at him..." Just as I was about to continue, a very sharp pain shot into the palm of my left hand.   
  
"Ow! Fuck!" I yelled, jerking my arms out of the water. I looked at my hand and there was blood pouring from it.   
  
"What happened?!" I heard someone ask from behind. I turned around to be met by Leon and frantically shoved my bleeding hand in his face.   
  
"Hospital!" I screamed. "I need to go to the hospital!"   
  
"No you don't, calm down," he instructed, taking my wrist.   
  
"What are you talkin about?! Do you see that gash in my hand?!" I continued yelling.   
  
"Just calm down," he said, turning to the sink and sticking my still bleeding palm under the running water. "Let's just clean it up."   
  
"Ow! That hurts fucker!" I yelled, smacking his back with my good hand. The water was hot and was just stinging the hell outta my hand.   
  
"Oh quit actin like a baby," he said annoyed.   
  
"You'd be actin this too if you had to get 57 stitches!" I yelled as he pulled my hand out from under the water and held it up so I could see it. The wound wasn't nearly as large or deep as I thought it was. I looked at Leon and smiled, feeling so embarrassed. I knew my face was bright red. Before I knew what was going on, he'd put the last piece of gauze we had in the house on my hand and taped it down.   
  
"There," he said, holding my hand with both of his and kissing the back of it. "All better."   
  
"Thanks," I said quietly, taking my hand from his. I walked out of the kitchen and headed to the living room.   
  
"Are you a lesbian?" he asked. I spun around and looked at him with a lifted eyebrow.   
  
"Beg your pardon," I said, mad. That wasn't very nice.   
  
"Well, it's just every time I got close to you tonight you moved away, so I was pickin up that lesbian vibe." I smiled.   
  
"I really don't like you," I laughed.   
  
"I didn't mean to offend you, I mean, it's ok if you are..."   
  
"You are such a prick," I said sternly, walking passed him to my room and slamming the door just as my sister had done earlier. I put on my favorite CD: The Doors' Greatest Hits and fell on my bed, looking at the ceiling where I had a Jim Morrison poster. My door flung open and I looked to see Leon standing there.   
  
"The fuck do you want?" I asked, accenting on the second word.   
  
"You're just like your sister," he said. "A bitch. Why can't you be your own person?!"   
  
"What in the hell are you talkin about?"   
  
"You know damn well what I'm talkin about! You act just like your sister because you're afraid of her. You're afraid of her because she's older and bigger and because she bosses you around all the time. Maybe you need to be your own person and stop wondering what your sister's gonna think all the time!" And with that, he slammed the door shut.   
  
I took a deep breath and looked back up at my Jim poster. Was Leon telling the truth? Was I really that afraid of my sister? I didn't know. I was so confused. I loved my sister and I knew she could be bossy, but was she always bossing me around and telling me what to do? I never thought of it that way   
  
----------------   
  
Part 9   
  
When I woke up later, I saw Dominic sitting in the hallway, a few feet away from my bedroom door. His feet were touching the wall across from him, which wasn't hard considering that the hallway was very narrow. I looked at him confused, but stepped out of the room and dropped to the floor to talk to him.   
  
"What are you doing?" I asked, genuinely curious.   
  
"Waiting for you to wake up," he said like it was an obvious answer.   
  
"Oh," I replied. I couldn't imagine why, considering what a bitch I'd been.   
  
"So you're Hector's infamous sister," he said. I snickered and nodded in concession.   
  
"Yes, I guess I am," I said sarcastically. He turned to look at me for the first time   
during our conversation.   
  
"Could ya please, for one goddamn minute drop the bitch routine?" he asked, sounding suddenly very serious and threatening.   
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked defensively.   
  
"Loco testarudo," he huffed under his breath, grinding his milled finger and thumb into his brow.   
  
"I am not crazy," I stressed, "I may be stubborn, but I am not crazy!"   
  
"Just stop it," he said, leaning his head against the wall with his eyes closed. He sat like that for a moment, and we were in silence. "Look," he said, suddenly, "after what went down in LA with Jesse and my girlfriend and my sister and everything, I didn't think I'd be okay. I knew I had to be, but I didn't know if I would be, and tonight… Tonight was fun. Until you flipped the fuck out." For once, I stayed quiet. I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he had a valid point. I was having fun, and then I did flip out.   
  
"So why don't you tell me what's going on? Cuz God knows I've tried to figure it out," he said, running his hand over his head.   
  
"I don't really know," I answered honestly, "I mean, I do like you, it's just-"   
  
"It's just that you've got this big bitch act to keep up and you can't do that with a man around, right? Because you're too afraid you'll lose control of every damn thing. Am I getting warm?" he asked, his eyes narrow with scorn as he looked in my direction.   
  
"No, that's not it at all, jackass!" I said, raising my voice as well as my body. Before I was too far out of reach, Dom grabbed my arm and pulled me back to eye level.   
  
"Then you tell me what it is," he said harshly. I could smell the remainder of my tequila on his breath, but he wasn't acting like a drunken man.   
  
"You better take your hand off me," I said sternly, looking straight into his eyes.   
  
"Not until you tell me what the hell your problem is," he replied.   
  
"Dominic, you're drunk and you're actin real stupid. I suggest you let go of my arm. Right now." I glared at him and silently swore to smack him if he didn't let go.   
  
"Fine," he said crossly, pushing me away as he let go. I rubbed the sore spot on my arm that his hand had just occupied and made my way into the kitchen. I watched as he walked into the living room and flopped onto the couch.   
  
"Dominic," I said sternly as I poured the remaining liquor into a glass, "You're drunk, it's late, and you're actin like a real asshole. I think you need some sleep." He mumbled some agreement and before I could finish my drink, I heard his deep snoring and rhythmic breathing. I threw my glass into the sink and moved into the hallway to pull a sheet from the closet. I draped it over his shirtless body and watched him respond by drawing it to his chin. Then, I sat and watched him sleep… for a long time, I just watched him.   
  
"Z!" I heard. I jerked to my feet and looked around.   
  
"Oh God, Mercedes, you scared the shit outta me," I said, my heart rate slowly decreasing.   
  
"Sorry," she said, "I didn't know you were out here, I was trying to find you. I got worried when you weren't in your room."   
  
"Oh, sorry," I said, laughing lightly, "I didn't mean to scare you."   
  
"Don't mention it."   
  
I looked straight ahead and noticed that the couch wasn't there anymore. "What happened to the couch?" I asked, panicking slightly. She looked at me sideways and pointed behind me. When I turned, I was looking at the couch. "What…?" I asked, confused.   
  
"You were sleeping on the couch…" she said slowly, not sure what to make of me.   
  
"But… Dom was sleeping there last night… How did I…" my voice trailed off as I thought about the previous night. "I remember… Falling asleep on the floor there," I said, pointing, "and then…" my breath caught in my throat. "Oh my God!" I said softly, sinking onto the couch.   
  
"What happened?" she asked, concerned. She sat beside me while I told her about the night before, when Dom and I had talked, leaving out that he grabbed me, of course, and then about how after I'd fallen asleep, I had a dream that Dom had woken me up and taken me off of the floor.   
  
"But I don't remember what happened after that," I said softly, trying my hardest to remember anything else.   
  
"Well, that's kinda cute and sweet, considering that you guys haven't exactly been on the best terms since they came here," she said, smiling. I smiled and sat back against the couch, thinking about Dominic.   
  
----------------   
  
bPart 10 /b  
  
"He's cute when he sleeps," I snickered, talking about Dominic. Z looked at me for a minute before laughing.   
  
"Mercedes," she started. I looked at her. "Am I a bitch?"   
  
"Definitely," I answered quickly.   
  
"No, seriously. Am I a bitch?" I narrowed my eyes, looking at her. I cracked a smile as my answer. She nodded.   
  
"I like how you never told me," she said.   
  
"Oh like you didn't know!" I squeaked. My squeaky voice made her laugh. I laughed as well as I put my injured hand on her cheek and laid her head on my shoulder.   
  
"What'd you do to yourself?" she asked.   
  
"Just had a little accident doin the dishes," I replied.   
  
"I told you not to do the dishes."   
  
"I was mad..." Just as I was getting ready to continue Dom and Leon walked into the living room from the kitchen.   
  
"Ah, I think I gained 200 pounds," Leon said, plopping down on the couch.   
  
"That was a beautiful breakfast Mercedes," Dom said. Z looked at me with wide eyes.   
  
"You made breakfast?!" she exclaimed.   
  
"I made toast," I said. "A lotta toast." I got up and headed toward the kitchen.   
  
"Don't do the dishes!" Leon warned.   
  
"Shut up!" I yelled, turning around. Leon stood up and got in my face.   
  
"Who's gonna make me?" he asked with his chin in the air.   
  
"I am," I said matter-of-factly.   
  
"You and what stepladder?" I opened my mouth to say something, but when I thought about what he'd just said I busted out in laughter, as did Dom and Z. I looked at Dom.   
  
"Hey buddy," I said, pointing at him. "Ain't you got a cousin you should be sleepin with?!" This time, Leon fell on the couch laughing and Z laughed harder than she was. Just then, the phone rang.   
  
"I'll get it," I said, walking toward the receiver. "Bueno?" I said. It was Hector.   
  
"Ay mami!" he said.   
  
"Hector come home," I said seriously. "There's gonna be a murder."   
  
"Who's Z gonna kill?" he sighed.   
  
"My observations point to Dominic."   
  
"What'd you say about me?!" Dom yelled.   
  
"Was I talkin to you?" I asked, turning to him. He rolled his eyes and turned back around in the recliner.   
  
"I dunno when I'll be home," Hector said.   
  
"I miss ya big bro," I said playfully. I really did.   
  
"Well, I just called to see how everything was going."   
  
"Ok."   
  
"I'll talk to ya later."   
  
"Te amo."   
  
"Y tu." And he hung up. Something was wrong... Hector always told me he loved me, he never said 'you too'. Something was definitely wrong, but I forced it into the back of my mind because I knew he wouldn't tell me. I sat on the couch at the opposite end of Leon. He looked me up and down and I returned the favor.   
  
"Hey, none of that," Z said.   
  
"Hey, shut up!" Leon yelled.   
  
"Hey..." she started. "Tengo el gato en los pantalones." I sighed irritably and closed my eyes.   
  
"What?" Leon breathed. Z leaned next to me and I did the same.   
  
"What did I just say to him?" she asked.   
  
"You told him he had a big cat in his pants," I informed her.   
  
"Oh," she said, sitting up. "Well then, lemme try again. Uh... tengo el kitten en los pantalones." I smiled and put my hand on my face. My sister was too funny when she wasn't a bitch.   
  
Later, when everyone was about sick of each other, Z went driving, Dom went... somewhere... and Leon was watching TV. Me, I was working on my other car, the one that didn't run: a 1968 Chevy Camaro, black with white stripes. I laid down on the creeper and slid underneath the car to take a look at the chassis.   
  
The day was hot, as was everyday in Baja, so I was wearing a white bustier that tied in the middle and in the back and white cut-off shorts. As I was trying to turn the wrench I lifted my leg, trying my hardest and it just wouldn't move.   
  
"Wow... I'm sexually aroused Mercedes," I heard Leon's voice say. I rolled my eyes and pushed myself out from under the car.   
  
"Well you better keep it in your pants baby unless you wanna be ax-murdered by my sister," I sarcastically told him, going back under the car.   
  
"What she don't know can't hurt her," he said. I took a deep breath and pushed myself out again.   
  
"You're digging your own grave," I said, getting up. I kicked the creeper out of my way and turned to the car.   
  
I shut the hood just as I felt strong heat right behind me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and became very nervous. I hadn't been with a man, thanks to my sister. Once I'd grown up and had men looking at me, she was always around scaring the guys away. I slowly turned around and Leon was standing almost directly on top of me. He smelled so good. I didn't know what it was, but I inhaled it deeply. I looked up at him, in his big green eyes.   
  
"You're an innocent," he said, moving forward, our bodies now touching slightly.   
  
"A what?" I asked softly.   
  
"What's goin on in here?" I heard Dom asked. Leon and I jumped and turned to him. I couldn't look at him. I began fingering my belt loop nervously. I was afraid Dom would tell Z and then I'd have to take care of funeral arrangements for Leon.   
  
"Nothing your leaving won't cure," Leon said.   
  
"Cute," Dom said, nodding. "That's a nice car," he said, walking toward us.   
  
"Leave," Leon demanded. Dom chuckled as he put his hands up.   
  
"Alright, I'm goin," he said, walking through the garage door. Leon turned to me again and I looked at him.   
  
"What's an..." Before I could finish, he grabbed my face and kissed me. I responded my wrapping my arms around his neck. His kiss was rough, but sweet. What made it even better was his amazing cologne. I made it my personal mission to find out what it was.   
  
"Your sister's here," Dom said, running into the garage. Leon and I jumped. He ran into the driver's seat and I opened the hood.   
  
"Try it," I yelled the second Z walked in. Leon turned the key and the car started. My eyes widened. I hadn't done anything to the car all day and it all of a sudden started?!   
  
"How's it goin?" Z asked.   
  
"You hear that!" I exclaimed. "She started!" Z nodded as she walked slowly back inside and shut the door. Something was wrong, but it didn't bother me. She wasn't gonna tell me. Dom came back in.   
  
"D'you touch my car?" I asked him as Leon got out of the car. Dom smiled.   
  
"I couldn't help it. It's a nice car," he confessed.   
  
"Thanks for..."   
  
"Your welcome," he cut me off. He walked back inside and I turned to Leon.   
  
"To be continued," I said, smiling. I turned around and walked through the garage door. 


	3. Parts 11 - 15

Part 11   
  
"Mercedes!" I yelled. My sister came running into the bedroom to find me searching frantically.   
  
"What?" she asked, watching me throw things around the room.   
  
"Where's my corset?" I asked, out of breath from running around. She thought for a moment, then walked over to my closet. I watched her reach into the back of it and produce my black leather corset. I smiled and thanked her as she walked out of the room. Within an hour, I was dressed to kill and ready to decimate all.   
  
"Ay!" Mercedes squealed as I stepped out of my room, ready to go out. I smiled under my thick make-up and curled hair. I walked into the living room and modeled for her.   
  
"So?" I asked, turning to look at her. I sat my hands on my hips and latched my thumbs onto my pants, which sat just below my waistline.   
  
"Slammin, mami… Where you goin?" she asked.   
  
"Out, just out," I replied, trying to hide the smile that threatened to spread over my entire face.   
  
"Dressed like that?" she asked, not believing my story.   
  
"Yes, dressed like this," I said, sighing deeply.   
  
"Z! Wait up!" we heard as I started to exit the kitchen door. I smiled at my sister and turned on my high heels to meet Dom. He stopped in his tracks and gripped tightly to the doorframe. I ran my tongue across my teeth and smiled again at Mercedes. She looked at me questioningly, but shook her head and waved her hand.   
  
"Have fun," she said nonchalantly, going back to whatever she was doing when I came in. I smiled at Dom, which gave him the go-ahead to walk the rest of the distance between us.   
  
"Shall we?" he asked, snaking his arm over my shoulders and under my hair. I shivered slightly as his hand grazed the back of my neck. I agreed and slid my arm to his back, around his waist. I smiled at Mercedes again as we walked outside.   
  
"So, where'd you go today?" I asked once we were on the road.   
  
"I took a walk," he said simply. I crinkled my forehead in thought and turned my face to him.   
  
"You took… A walk?" I asked, somehow surprised. I shouldn't have been, but I was.   
  
"Yeah, to think," he answered. I raised my eyebrows and turned back to the road. "I thought about last night," he confessed. My heart leapt into my throat as I thought about the previous night. I yanked the steering wheel and slammed on the break pedal, making the car stop suddenly at a strange angle.   
  
When we were able to retain our normal breathing rate, I asked, "What about last night?" looking straight ahead.   
  
"About how it was a great night… And a lot of fun until you started trippin," he admitted, looking at me sheepishly. I smiled and moved a little closer to him.   
  
"I guess it was pretty fun," I agreed, running my hand over his scalp, to the back of his neck.   
  
"Yeah," he said, moving his face closer to mine. I watched him close his eyes and did the same as his lips touched mine softly.   
  
"Dom…" I said, my voice thick with a dozen different emotions.   
  
"Z… Don't start trippin again, please," he pleaded, kissing me again. I smiled against his lips and held tight to his neck, kissing him again and again.   
  
"Dom, please don't stop," I said when he pulled away. He grinned and descended to my lips again, making me shudder with excitement. I succumbed to my passion over my pride and felt myself starting to get into the mood.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 12   
  
"Home alone at last," Leon said when I walked into the living room. I rolled my eyes and sat on the couch across the room from him.   
  
"And I've got great movies!" I said excitedly. I jumped to the floor and crawled to the cabinet that held all the movies we owned. I started picking a few out when I felt the floor vibrate beneath me from footsteps... Leon's footsteps. I took a deep breath, I could feel him sit directly behind me.   
  
"That's a good one," he said, leaning forward and pressing his chest against my back. He grabbed a movie and held it in front of me. I cracked a smile. It was the Pam and Tommy porno movie. The only reason I had it was because I bought anything that had to do with Motley Crue, I'd never watched that one, though.   
  
"That doesn't surprise me that you've seen it," I said, taking it from him and putting it back in its place.   
  
"And you haven't?" he asked, his voice becoming rough and low as he got closer to my face.   
  
"No," I said, shaking my head nervously.   
  
"Want to?" he asked, his lips brushing against my cheek.   
  
"No," I laughed. He put his hand on my inner thigh as I was sitting Indian style and rubbed it gently.   
  
"Don't do that," I breathed.   
  
"Why not?" he whispered in my ear. I didn't wanna feel like a complete ass and tell him 'because I'm afraid of what my sister will say'.   
  
"Fuck it," I said, pushing Leon down and crawling on top of him. I kissed him as he laughed at my spontaneous outburst. I straddled his waist and rested my arms on either side of his head. I felt his hands on my back, pulling him down lower on top of him, and then they moved to my hair. I loved it when guys ran their fingers through my hair because it was so long and thin. At that very moment, the telephone rang. I couldn't believe it.   
  
"Don't answer it," Leon said.   
  
"No, I gotta answer it," I sighed. "If it's Z and I don't answer, she'll come home wondering what I'm doin."   
  
"We wouldn't want that."   
  
"No," I said, crawling off him and running to the phone. "Bueno?"   
  
"Is Leon or Dom there, please?" a pretty sexy voice asked. I didn't recognize the voice.   
  
"Yeah, who's calling?"   
  
"Brian." I put the phone down and looked at Leon who was still lying on his back on the floor.   
  
"Leon," I called, grabbing his attention. "Brian's on the phone." He jumped up, ran to me, and snatched the phone outta my hand.   
  
"Hello?" he said anxiously. I sighed at our ruined moment and headed for the bathroom to take me a nice... cold shower.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 13   
  
Unfortunately, our make-out session stopped before it could become anything else. I laid my head back against my seat, consciously making my breathing slow. I sighed and started the car again, slamming it into gear with the ball of my hand and speeding off.   
  
"Who's Jesse?" I asked after a few minutes. We were in the middle of nowhere and I wanted some kind of conversation.   
  
It took him a while to answer, and when he finally did, his words sounded forced, "He was a friend of mine," he said. I looked at him again and saw sadness on his face. I turned back to the road, but stopped the car again, doing a better parking job. He looked at me, and the pain in his eyes seemed unbearable. I still didn't know what had happened, but I had a pretty good idea that his friend had died and Dom was still hurting.   
  
I reached over and hugged him tightly, shocked by my sincerity. When I finally pulled away, I smiled at him again and gently kissed his forehead, then his nose, and then his lips. He grinned at me again, and I knew that even in this situation, we needed each other in the worst way. I turned the car around and sped off toward home, trying to think of what would happen and what I would find when we arrived.   
  
Surprisingly, the place was quiet. I heard the shower running, and ruled out that it must be my sister when I saw Leon sitting on the couch, bouncing his knee uncontrollably.   
  
"Leon? You all right man?" Dom asked upon seeing his friend so shaken.   
  
"Jesus Dom!" Leon exclaimed, jumping up, "Spilner called!"   
  
"Ah shit," Dom said, turning around. He put his hand on his head, which I'm sure was already pounding, and closed his eyes.   
  
"Who called?" I asked, unsure of what the problem was.   
  
"It's not important," Dom replied, walking into the kitchen. I looked at Leon, who said nothing, and then chased after Dom.   
  
"What happened?" I asked him worriedly.   
  
"Just an old friend poppin up outta nowhere," he reassured me, "Nothing to worry about."   
  
"I don't believe you," I told him seriously.   
  
He just smiled and kissed me softly, whispering, "Trust me, it's okay." The crazy thing is, I did believe him.   
  
A while later, we were all tired and went to our various rooms. I laid in bed for what seemed like a long, long time, but soon felt the need to get up. I walked quietly into the living room to see Dom and Leon talking. They did some crazy handshake and Dom patted Leon's back as he stood and started to walk toward me. I stepped out of the dark hallway just as he was entering and stood, my hands on my hips, waiting for an explanation.   
  
"Where do you think you're going?" I asked, tilting my head to the side and narrowing my eyes. He looked a little suspicious, but said nothing. "Oh, I see," I said after a few seconds of silence, "Well, go on," I told him, moving my arms to usher him towards my sister's room. He looked a little confused, but shrugged it off and picked up his step.   
  
"Oh Leon!" I called, he turned to look at me, "If you hurt her, I swear to God I will punch you in the lungs and then I'll break your legs," I said, with all seriousness. He smiled and nodded, but turned back to Mercedes' room.   
  
"So you're gonna punch him in the lungs, is that right?" I heard Dom say. I turned around and smiled at him, licking my lips.   
  
"Mmhmm. And break his legs," I said, moving closer to the couch. He chuckled and took his feet off of the table so he could sit up. He motioned for me to sit next to him. As I was getting ready to sit on the couch, he grabbed my waist and spun me around, making me land on top of him. I laughed the whole time as I turned onto my back. I was now looking straight up at him and smiled when I saw him moving his face to meet mine. This time, when we kissed, it seemed a lot less innocent than in the car. I could feel his hand on my stomach and I was trembling   
  
"Wait," I said, sitting up. He exhaled roughly and folded his arms.   
  
"What is it this time?" he asked, exasperated.   
  
I sighed and moved to straddle his lap. He responded and put his hands on my waist. "I wasn't comfortable lying down," I whispered, kissing his ear. He laughed a deep laugh, much different from what I'd heard before, and kissed my neck softly as I played with his necklace and the back of his neck.   
  
"We should probably keep quiet, huh?" he asked as I pulled his shirt over his head.   
  
"Yeah, probably," I replied breathily, letting him undress me in return. We looked at each other again and smiled as he twisted and laid me back onto the couch.   
  
"I hope Leon's havin this good of a time," he said between kisses.   
  
"Yeah, no joke," I said, arching my back make my stomach meet his lips. "Mercedes needs to get out more I guess."   
  
"Yeah, but now isn't the time," he said as he continued kissing me. I smiled and agreed, allowing him to make me forget about everything else in the world.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 14   
  
"What do you want?" I playfully asked Leon as he entered my room, closing the door behind him.   
  
"I gotta ask a favor," he said, falling to his knees next to my bed. I looked at him with a lifted eyebrow as I turned, swinging my legs over the side facing him. He grabbed my hands and looked me in the eyes. He looked like he was going to ask me to marry him!   
  
"Can Dom and I put a pool table in your basement?" he asked hopefully.   
  
"Beg your pardon," I said, not knowing if I heard correctly.   
  
"Dom and I want a pool table," he repeated.   
  
"Cuz we're bored! You and Z are always gone! We need somethin to do!" I looked at him for a minute, staring him dead in the eyes. I saw the begging and pleading in his green eyes just as I did in Hector's brown eyes.   
  
"Lemme talk to Z..." I started.   
  
"No!" Leon interrupted. "Cuz she'll say no..." I swallowed and continued looking at him.   
  
"Alright fine, fine!" I gave in, like I always did with anybody who begged me for something. Leon laughed as he jumped up and kissed me.   
  
"You might wanna get another kiss," I advised.   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Cuz I'll be dead when Z finds out I let you guys put a pool table in our basement." Leon smiled.   
  
"She won't kill you, I won't let her."   
  
"Oh, I'm sure you could stop her."   
  
----------------   
  
Part 15   
  
"Oh, no way," I heard through my sleep. I opened my eyes to find my sister standing in front of Leon, who had his chin resting on the top of her head. I smiled and sat up to face them.   
  
"What are you goin on about?" I asked, my voice full of sleep.   
  
"What happened here?" Mercedes asked, pointing behind me. I turned my head around and saw an arm where my head had just been.   
  
"Oh my God," I said seriously, "the couch grew an arm!" Mercedes rolled her eyes, Leon snickered, and I just smiled and shook my head. "So what?" I asked. My sister looked at me incredulously.   
  
"So what?" she repeated, shocked. I shrugged.   
  
"So what'd ya'll do?" Leon asked. I giggled a bit, but stopped and turned to kiss Dom's forehead. He shifted in his sleep when I stood.   
  
"Well, why would I tell you that?" I asked, pushing them aside and walking toward the bathroom.   
  
"I've never known Dom to actually, literally sleep with a chick unless he was gettin some kinda action," Leon justified. I smiled again and ducked into the bathroom to turn on the shower. When I came back, they were sitting together on the side armchair.   
  
"I never said that there was no action," I said, winking. Before either one could reply, I was in the bathroom and getting ready to take myself a shower. I stepped into the stream of water and sighed, feeling more relaxed than I could ever remember being. I lingered for a long while and was surprised when I opened the shower curtain to find Dom standing in front of me, wearing the pants he'd had on the night before.   
  
"Hey," I said, not too sure of what was going on. He smiled and wrapped his arms around me, bringing our lips together. I smiled against his kiss and wrapped my bare legs around his waist. His hands clasped behind my back and rested there as he stumbled out of the small room. He grabbed the towel I'd set out for myself and set it on my shoulders while he walked shakily back to my bedroom. He kicked the door the rest of the way open and we spilled onto the bed as soon as I extended my leg to kick it closed. He laid on top of me, the towel discarded, but my body still wet from my shower. I squirmed under his lips as he kissed my neck and shoulders. I couldn't keep the smile off of my face as he moved back to my ear and started again, naming every body part as he left his trail.   
  
"Earlobe... Neck... Shoulder..." he said between the series of kisses. The vibration of his lips against the still-present droplets of water was driving me absolutely crazy, but he continued down my arm, "Elbow... Hand... Fingers..." I wrapped my fingers around his scalp and pulled his face back to mine, forcing him into another kiss.   
  
"Dom..." I said between ragged breaths, "kiss me."   
  
"I have been," he said, chuckling and kissing me again.   
  
"No," I said shakily, yanking his face to mine again, "I want you to kiss me somewhere I've never been kissed." He extended his arms, pushing himself up. I bit my bottom lip and looked at him slyly. He smiled at me and bent his head down to kiss me, just as I was moving to kiss him. We butted heads, but he smiled at me again and began kissing down my arm again. He moved to my hip, and to my outer thigh. He looked at me with just his eyes, the rest of his face turned down to my leg and I could see him smirking. His hand traveled down my leg and gripped onto my ankle. I arched my back to move myself closer to the head of the bed to give him more room. I watched my knee bend and smirked as his face continued moving down to my inner thigh.   
  
"I said somewhere I've never been kissed," I said, emphasizing 'never.' He smiled again and grasped my ankle tighter, then pulled it up over his head, then placed his lips on the sensitive spot behind my knee. I grabbed the pillow and arched my back again, moaning loudly.   
  
"Fuck!" I said, breaking my leg from his grip. I grabbed the top sheet off of my bed, jumped up, and wrapped it around myself.   
  
"Agh! What it is this time?" he asked, flopping onto his back. He folded his arms and laid his head on his hands. I gave him a stare of mortification and confusion.   
  
"Uh, well, my sister and Leon are in the next room!" I hissed. He gave me a sideways glance, and then started laughing. I put my hands on my hips and looked at him, waiting for an explanation.   
  
"You are too much," he said, walking toward me. He put his hands on my shoulders, but I pulled away.   
  
"And what's so funny?" I asked, annoyed. He was still smiling when he answered.   
  
"They left," he said simply. Feeling like a jackass, I looked away and clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth. "Hey," he said, moving my face back to his with his thumb and forefinger, "what's wrong?"   
  
"I... Feel like a jackass," I told him, sighing against his chest. He laughed again and I swatted his arm playfully, "It's not funny, jackass."   
  
"Oh sure it is," he said, kissing my nose.   
  
"Hmm... Not really, but it's okay, I forgive you," I told him, smiling as I kissed him softly. Soon, the kissing had developed into a more serious series of actions. I reached down and unbuttoned his pants while we kissed, and pushed them down. Next, the boxers came off, and finally, I took the sheet off of myself. I pushed him backward until he fell onto the bed, and then I fell on top of him, bringing the sheet with me, and draping it over us. His male instinct kicked in just as we started getting serious and he moved me off of him, then assumed his previous position over me.   
  
Less than an hour later, we were curled up together on my bed, wrapped in the sheet and each other's arms. I kissed the side of his face and he smiled. I sat up, but he placed his hand on my stomach and pushed me back down. I giggled and kissed him, then tried again to stand, with the same result.   
  
"Look," I told him, "Mercedes will be back any minute, I've gotta get dressed." He sighed deeply and let me go. I stood and walked to my closet, grabbing a pair of jogging pants and one of the wifebeaters that Hector had forgotten during his recent trip. I pulled the clothes on, then threw Dom his pants and boxers. Once we were both dressed, he wrapped his arms around my waist again and kissed me one last time before we had to go face the world - Namely, Leon and Mercedes.   
  
"Ooh..." we heard as we walked into the living room. I looked up to find my sister and Leon perched on the couch, and blushed. I could feel my face turning a few different shades of red, but shook it off.   
  
"So, where have you two been?" I inquired, intentionally changing the subject.   
  
"Dawg," Leon said, pulling Dom aside. I couldn't hear what he said afterward, but I saw Dom's eyes light up and a slow smile spread across his face.   
  
"We'll be right back," Dom announced. He and Leon made their way to the kitchen and I heard the back door close.   
  
"What's goin on?" I asked my sister suspiciously.   
  
"Promise not to freak out?" she asked, suddenly sounding very guilty.   
  
"Mercedes..." I said with my normal motherly tone and my hands on my hips.   
  
"Z, promise me you won't start trippin," she pleaded.   
  
"I'll let you know in a minute," I said, stalking toward the kitchen. She jumped up and ran to block my path, putting her arms on the doorframe to keep me from getting any closer to whatever they were hiding.   
  
"No. First, your promise not to flip, then I'll take you to see," Mercedes said sternly. I rolled my eyes and agreed, pushing her head to get her out of the way.   
  
I walked outside, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "What the hell am I looking for?" I asked. I really wanted to know what was going on.   
  
"In the basement," she replied. I looked at her suspiciously, but opened the door to the basement and started down the stairs. It was dark and cool, and when I was only a few feet into the room, I bumped into something. I ran my hands over the obstruction and deduced that it was a pool table.   
  
Knowing well what it was, I asked, "What in the fuck did I just run into?"   
  
"Surprise!" Leon cried when Mercedes turned on the light. I looked at the game table and tried my hardest to not smile. No one knew, not even Mercedes, that I'd always had a passion for pool. Hector had taught me all about it and even a few helpful tips on hustling, which was his main source of income before he found street racing.   
  
"Hmm... Who's this belong to?" I asked, trying to sound angry. Mercedes grabbed Leon's wrist and raised his hand. He yanked it down and looked at me guiltily. I rolled my eyes and flipped my hand, silently agreeing to let him keep it there. Maybe I'd finally be able to have some fun away from our cars, and possibly make some money. 


	4. Parts 16 - 20

Part 16   
  
"What're we doin down here? You know I don't know how to play pool!" I said as I followed Leon to the newly purchased red pool table. He grabbed two sticks and stood in front of me.   
  
"I'm gonna teach ya how," he said. I smiled sheepishly and took a stick from him.   
  
"I'm a slow learner," I warned.   
  
"Well I've got all the time in the world." He gathered the balls at one end and stuffed them in the rack.   
  
"Ok," he started, walking around the table toward me. "The object of the game is to get your solids or stripes in the pockets before me."   
  
"And how do I know which are mine?" I asked.   
  
"Just like this," he said, bending over and tapping the plain white ball, the cue ball, toward the others. The ball knocked the others all over the table with a few striped ones falling in the corner pockets.   
  
"You're solid," he announced, obviously happy about his shot. He took another shot and this time missed.   
  
"Haha," I laughed.   
  
"Shut up," he said, looking at me. "At least I know how to play."   
  
"Well I'm learnin, I'm learnin."   
  
"It's your turn."   
  
"So?" I said. Did he forget I didn't know how to play and, not to mention, didn't know how to hold the stick.   
  
"Aright come here," he breathed. I smiled as I walked over and stood between him and the table. He took my right hand and put it on the stick in front of me and placed my left behind me. So our position was pretty comfortable: his arm around my waist just above my ass, his other arm parallel to my right, and his face next to mine. He moved the stick back and forth, telling me to let it slide between my fingers. It tapped the white ball, sending it to a solid ball, and causing it to fall in the side pocket.   
  
"Yus!" I yelped, jumping up.   
  
"You get another shot," Leon said.   
  
"I do?"   
  
"You keep goin til you miss." I walked around the table to the cue ball. I looked around to see a solid ball sitting next to a corner pocket. I got in position, hit the ball, and missed my target by about 6 inches.   
  
"Well I suck," I said, standing up straight. I turned around and looked at Leon. "What am I doing wrong?" I asked.   
  
"I don't know, but it looked good from back here," he laughed. I rolled my eyes and set the bottom of the stick on the ground next to me.   
  
"You think you're cute?" I asked sarcastically. He took a large step forward and our fronts were barely touching.   
  
"I know I am," he answered, putting his hand lightly over mine and taking the stick from me. He laid it on the table and moved even closer to me.   
  
"Are you clear on the rules?" he asked, looking down at me. I could feel his intense body heat and my temperature began to rise.   
  
"Crystal," I whispered, pressing my forehead to his chest. I felt his light kisses on the side of my head and he worked his way down to my ear. When he came to my neck I rested my chin on his shoulder. Getting into the mood and not caring what my sister would say if she caught us, I planted a few open-mouthed kisses on his exposed neck. He suddenly pulled away and looked at me wide-eyed.   
  
"It's on now girl," he growled, putting his hands on my sides and lifting me up on the table as if I weighed a buck. I opened my legs a little, allowing him to step between them. His hands remained on my sides as he kissed me hungrily. I let my hands slide down his chest and rest on belt buckle. I then slipped my fingers in his front pockets and forcefully pulled him as close to me as possible. He started to slowly lay me down as he frantically pushed the balls to the opposite end.   
  
"Mercedes!" I heard my sister yell. Leon and I sighed heavily and he laid his head on the table.   
  
"Jesus, I walk into that every goddamn time," he said, standing up. He took my hands and pulled me up.   
  
"What?!" I yelled.   
  
"You've got a visitor!" she replied. I looked at Leon confused because I had no idea who would be visiting me. He helped me off the table and followed me up the stairs. We walked to the front door and I saw an all too familiar face. I stopped suddenly about 2 feet from the screen door.   
  
"Sean," I said lightly. He smiled and nodded.   
  
"How you doin Mercedes?" he asked politely, but I knew he was far from polite.   
  
"How did you find me?" I asked.   
  
"Pretty easily actually. There's only one Hemi Cuda in Baja, Mexico." I took a deep breath and swallowed.   
  
"What do you want?"   
  
"I want my fuckin car back."   
  
Sean was from L.A. I'd met him about a year ago when Hector and I took a trip to California. The only reason I even talked to this guy was because he owned a 1967 Hemi Cuda and I was very interested in stealing it. So I spent the entire night with this guy and when he was drunk and passed out, I took the car and headed back to Mexico. I figured he'd never find me if I lived in a different country!   
  
"What's this about?" Leon asked, stepping out from behind me. I looked at him then back to Sean who had an evil glare in his eye that was directed at Leon.   
  
"That bitch right there stole my fuckin car!" he yelled, pointing at me.   
  
"Hey," Leon said. "Calm down."   
  
"Who the fuck are you?" Sean continued to yell.   
  
"I think you should leave," Leon advised.   
  
"Or what?"   
  
I watched as Leon stepped up to the screen door and came face-to-face with Sean. He stood for a minute and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hand playing with the door handle. A smile lingered on his lips as he pressed the handle in lightly and placed his right hand on the door. He pushed the door open, slamming Sean in the face and knocking him down the stairs. Leon ran outside and picked him up only to punch him and send him to the ground again. He climbed on top of Sean, gripped his shirt, and planted punch after punch on his jaw and eyes. Just when I thought Leon was gonna kill Sean, Dom came running past me and outside. He grabbed Leon and yanked him off, pulling him back inside. I walked to the screen door and stood there, looking down on Sean who was still on the ground. As he slowly came to his feet he looked at me. I lifted an eyebrow and glared at him. I had no idea what I was doing. I'd never done that to anyone I was highly afraid of and knew exactly what they were capable of.   
  
I quickly shut the door and headed to the kitchen where Dom had taken Leon.   
  
"Ya alright?" I asked, sitting next to him at the table.   
  
"I'm fine," he answered quickly. When I saw his bloody knuckles I knew he was just a shade less than fine. I grabbed a wet washcloth and began cleaning his hand.   
  
"Ah!" he yelled in pain.   
  
"Quiet you big baby," I said, looking at his hand.   
  
"Were you hurt baby?" Z asked Dom as she put her arms around his neck from behind him.   
  
"Yeah," Dom said in a childish tone. "It took all my strength to pull that guy off the other guy."   
  
"Hey," I said. "He has a name." Dom just shrugged as he kissed Z. I didn't know what it was, but there something about a man that would fight for me. I felt safe; protected and I wanted it to stay that way.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 17   
  
"Mercedes," I said that night, "I don't know what's up with that guy, but are you all right?"   
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. She was preoccupied, spinning her toy gun. I'd gone out after the fight and found the perfect boredom buster for Dom and Leon for when Mercedes and I went out on jobs. Even though the guys were grateful, they chose to buy a Playstation with the little bit of money they'd brought with them to Mexico. So instead, we decided to try our spinning skills.   
  
"Ok then," I said, smiling. I walked back to my room to find Dom waiting for me. I ran my tongue over my teeth and looked at him with my head tilted to the side.   
  
"Hey," he said, winking. I walked to my bed and crawled on top of him, kissing him. I moved onto my back and ran my hands over his chest and arms, admiring his frame.   
  
"So what was up with that Brian guy who called?" I asked curiously, "Because he called back while Leon and Mercedes were playin pool."   
  
"What?" he asked. He shook his head and muttered, "That fuckin bastard..."   
  
"Jesus Dom, what's the problem? He sounds like a decent guy," I defended. His eyes widened, and he stood up.   
  
"No, Zoraida, you don't know what happened," he protested. It was obvious that he was mad that I'd stuck up for the guy, and even more obvious that he had blue balls when he walked out of the room. I heard his and Mercedes' voices in the living room, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Eventually, I heard her bedroom door open and close again and knew that Dom was alone in the living room. Still upset about his sudden outburst, I stormed into the living room and pulled the small coffee table out of the way, then yanked Dom off of the couch. He fell on the floor with a crash and jumped up, trying to figure out what had happened.   
  
"Right now would be a good time to watch what you say," I said, pointing at him.   
  
"Jesus woman, what the hell is goin on in your head? Did you know that it's late and I was trying to sleep," he growled.   
  
"Don't you fuckin yell at me," I said coldly.   
  
"Why don't you stop bein a bitch?" he asked, the chill in his voice matching mine to the degree. I drew my hand back and slapped his face, but he kept the same stolid appearance.   
  
"You are a bastard," I said, and then I stormed into the kitchen and out the back door, slamming it behind me. I took off, the tires squealing wildly.   
  
"Who does he think he is?" I asked my car. Of course there was no reply, but I asked all the same. I slammed my hand onto the dash and felt a little better. "That asshole..." I thought out loud, "I fucking can't stand his mood swings!" When I'd calmed down enough to go home and be there without killing him, I quietly pulled into the garage and skulked to my room, hoping to go unnoticed. Luckily, he'd gone back to sleep, and I was in the clear.   
  
It had been days, and Dom and I had avoided each other no matter what the circumstances, and had barely exchanged words. I'd go to bed at night and fume about him and think about how he was such a jackass, when all I really wanted was for things to get back to how they were.   
  
"Mercedes, we need money," I told her. We sat to discuss a new job. She told me about a new Ferrari she'd seen in town, and we were sure we could get it and get the money we needed. What I didn't tell her that the money was for Dom and Leon to get their own place.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 18   
  
The next day's temperature was just ridiculous. It was about 101 degrees and Z and I had a job to pull that night, so I prayed for the temp to drop just a few hundred degrees. The sweltering day provided great sunlight to tan by even though I was Mexican and tan already, I thought I needed to be darker. I wore my bright green bikini that tied at the hips at the neck to accent my dark body. I put my headphones on and started to listen to "Light My Fire" by The Doors.   
  
All the while I was listening to the 7 minute song all I could think about was Leon. I wished we'd gotten farther when we were on the floor in the living room, when we were on the pool table... but I couldn't go back in time. I didn't know what was going on with us. We could be hot and heavy one minute and the next not even talk to each other! Sometimes he acted like I wasn't even there and other times he acted like I was the only person in the room. It was like he couldn't make up his mind about whether he wanted to be with me or not. It was very stressing for me.   
  
I opened my eyes (thank God I was wearing Dom's sunglasses) when the next song came on and saw Leon playing basketball by himself. He was shirtless, which was understandable and wearing baggy blue jeans with a black belt that hung low on his hips to reveal his white boxers. His wallet chain banged hard against his left leg as did his sterling silver chain he wore around his neck. I took a deep breath attempting to calm myself because I was ready to jump on him and take him right then and there... he was incredibly gorgeous. Suddenly, I felt a strong tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see Dom standing next to me. I removed my headphones and scooted the sunglasses down on my nose so I could see him better.   
  
"Where's your sister?" he asked roughly. I shrugged.   
  
"I dunno." He sighed as he sat in the lounge chair next to me. "Why?" I asked overly curious.   
  
"Just wondering. She didn't tell me she was leaving," he answered, closing his eyes because of the very illuminating sun.   
  
"That's because she doesn't have to," I said, scooting up in my chair to get a better look at Leon. I pushed the sunglasses back up to their original position and I heard Dom laugh hard. "What?!" I asked.   
  
"You think he don't know you're starin at him?!" he asked. I lifted an eyebrow.   
  
"I beg your pardon," I asked annoyed.   
  
"He knows, believe me, he knows. He pulls the sunglasses thing all the time."   
  
"What sunglasses thing?" Dom was confusing me beyond, way beyond...   
  
"Wearing sunglasses to hide the fact that you're starin at someone." I laughed a little and turned back to look at Leon some more. At this point, I just didn't care if he knew I was staring at him. In fact, I wanted him to know. Maybe he'd attempt to finish what he'd started the day before.   
  
"What're you listenin to?" Dom asked.   
  
"The Doors."   
  
"Hand it over," he ordered, referring to my CD player. I smiled and handed it to him. I didn't mind that much as long as he was listening to The Doors. He and I would get along great if he kept his cool, which I knew wouldn't last for long.   
  
That night, Z and I began to quickly run over our plans for the next boost we were about to pull. We checked our tools, the address of the car, and any other tidbits we could think of. We hoped Leon and Dom wouldn't walk out and wanna come with us because we weren't sure if we could say no to them anymore. I was completely infatuated with Leon and Z and Dom had a great relationship... most of the time.   
  
"We're goin," Dom announced as he came into the kitchen followed by Leon. I snapped my eyes shut and sat back in my chair awaiting the verbal abuse Dom was about to receive from my sister.   
  
"Get out," she simply said. She was only getting started.   
  
"No seriously, we wanna go," Dom said.   
  
"Seriously, get out," Z mocked. I smiled as I noticed my eyes wandering over to Leon. He looked at me and smiled, I just looked back at Z. Leon was being just a little rude all day... he didn't say one word to me! Did he think I'd be his best friend when he acted like nothing ever happened?! If he did, he was wrong.   
  
"Come on, let's go," I said softly, making my sadness visible. Z stood and I followed her to the backdoor like always. But Dom jumped and blocked our path with his large frame, there was no getting passed this guy.   
  
"Move," Z ordered in her very cold attitude.   
  
"I'm not movin unless I'm goin with you," Dom said stubbornly.   
  
"Move or I move you," Z said. My head dropped and I wanted to laugh so hard. There was no way in hell my sister could move Dom! I felt a hand on my back and pushed Leon away, I was still hurt. I looked at him and his eyes didn't say 'sorry'... they said 'why?'   
  
"Jesus Christ! Just let them go!" I yelled. My sister looked at me wide-eyed and after a few minutes she finally agreed. We all jumped in the Camaro because we took the Hemi Cuda last time and we couldn't take the chance of being noticed. Z was driving and I was in the front seat with Dom and Leon in the back. There was silence the whole way there.   
  
"Stay here," Z ordered. Dom and Leon nodded, annoyed, as we headed to the garage after Z had done her magic on the computer. The garage door was in the process of opening as we headed in to see a red 1999 Ferrari 550 Maranello: Angelina. I took in the smell of the car as I handed Z the same tool she always used to unlock the doors and headed for the hood. I opened it and did the same rewiring and attached a small battery that was the size of a calculator to two wires. I shut the hood softly and tapped the top of the car as I headed toward the Camaro. Suddenly, Leon jumped outta my car and Dom jumped into the driver's seat.   
  
"What's goin on?" I asked Leon.   
  
"Get in!" he yelled running passed me.   
  
"Come on!" I heard Dom yell. I didn't know what I was goin on, so I just ran to the car, threw my book bag in the backseat and got in the passenger seat while Z got in the back. Dom slammed his foot on the gas and we sped off at 72mph. I turned around and saw Leon following close behind in the Ferrari. What the fuck was goin on?!   
  
"What's going on?" I asked Dom. He was ready to answer when we heard police sirens. I saw the red and blue lights in front of us, and my eyes widened. "Oh my God," I said.   
  
"Don't worry about it," Dom said. He slammed his foot on the brakes and turned the wheel with all his might to the left. I saw the smoke and heard the squeal of the tires as he made a fast U-turn. I saw Leon do the same as we passed him. A car pulled out in front of us and Dom sped into the left lane, which was oncoming traffic. There was a silver Durango heading right for us. I screamed and grabbed onto the door handle with one hand and Dom's sleeve with the other. He slammed on the brakes again and swerved into the right lane. The cops continued to follow behind Leon.   
  
"We're gonna die," I said in awe. I couldn't believe what was going on. How could we get caught?! We were always so careful.   
  
"You're not gonna die," Dom said. His voice was always so soothing, but nothing could calm me down at the moment. Before I knew what was going on, Dom did a series of turns, followed closely by Leon and we turned onto our street. By this time, I had tears streaming down my face and we'd totally lost the cops. We pulled into the driveway and I jumped out the car. I ran down the driveway and met Leon with a hug. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his arms went around my waist. I cried into his shoulder and I never wanted to let him go. I was so scared in that car because of Dom's crazy driving… Which reminded me of something I had to do. I pulled away from Leon and turned to Dom. I walked toward him only to start running and began pounding my fists on his chest when I was close enough. He never flinched or stepped back.   
  
"Crazy son of a bitch!" I yelled. I felt Leon's arms around my stomach as he lifted me in the air and carried me toward the door and into the house. He put me down in the living room and I started hitting him.   
  
"Stop, stop!" he yelled, grabbing my upper arms. He held me close and I continued to fight him until I realized who he was. I started crying almost hysterically and rested my hands on his hips. His arms held me tight and I felt as if I would never move from that position.   
  
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Part 19   
  
After Mercedes had calmed down, I suggested she take a shower and then get some sleep; She was havin a bad night. She agreed and went into the bathroom somberly.   
  
"Thank you," I said to Dom and Leon, who were seated in the living room. Dom continued staring at the TV, but Leon stood and walked to the kitchen. I glared at Dom contemptuously, but followed Leon.   
  
"Hey, long night, huh?" he said, taking a seat. I nodded in agreement and sat across from him.   
  
"Can I ask a favor?" I asked after a short period of silence. He nodded without even looking up at me. "Well… I need a ride…"   
  
"What for?" he asked, his brow crinkled in a questioning manner.   
  
"I need to take the Vette to this guy who wants it," I explained. He still looked confused. I sighed and told him, "So I'm gonna need a ride home. I really don't wanna wake Mercedes up, and I'm not asking Dom." I looked at him pleadingly. He looked like he wasn't sure, but shrugged and nodded again.   
  
"Aright, let's go," he said. I thanked him and handed him the Ferrari's keys before I jumped into the Corvette. He followed me to the same party site we'd been at a few nights before. I took the Vette keys off of my necklace and instructed Leon to wait in the Ferrari.   
  
"It'll just take a second," I told him. I walked into the building, found the man I'd made the deal with, received my money and ran back to Leon. I jumped in the car and he took off, zooming back to my house.   
  
"Here," I said, handing him the bundle of cash. He'd slowed down enough for us to talk without his driving being impaired, so he reached out the take it from me.   
  
"What's this for?" he asked suspiciously. I turned my face toward the window and blinked away a few tears before taking a deep breath and facing him.   
  
"You and Dom," I said as sternly as I could. He gave me the same confused look from earlier. "You guys need to get your own place," I said. I could feel my heart splitting as my voice shook a little more with every word.   
  
"Hey, what? Why?" he asked, looking into my eyes. He didn't look confused anymore.   
  
"Because I fucking said so," I told him, my voice breaking with tears that threatened to fall. I sighed, turning back to the window. I wasn't mad at Leon, but I was sure he knew that, so I didn't apologize. Instead, we spent the rest of the ride in complete silence.   
When we pulled into the driveway, I asked Leon to let me tell Dom, and he gladly agreed. Once we were inside, he went directly to Mercedes' room while I walked into the middle of the living room, holding my head as high as my breaking heart would allow.   
  
"What?" Dom asked curtly. I stood in front of him, trying to tell him, but I couldn't make myself do it.   
  
"Dominic," I said, choking back a new set of tears, "I've given Leon the money from the Vette." He looked at me strangely, but seemed to want to hear the rest of what I had to say. I took a breath to steady myself and blinked away my tears again before continuing, "And I told him that you two need to get your own place, because this just isn't going to work." He was seething. Had it been any other person, or under different circumstances, I would've savored the moment. But no, it was this moment, and it was Dom. He'd been the only person in eons to even try to get close to me, but somewhere along the line… It just became too much.   
  
"Say something," I ordered, offended by the fusion of his stoic silence with his irate attitude.   
  
"What do you want me to say?" he asked coldly, not looking at me.   
  
"I don't fucking care!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms in the air, "Just say something!"   
  
"Zoraida, I've got nothing to say to you, and anything I could say to you, trust me, you wouldn't like it." And with that, he stood and walked out the front door, slamming it violently behind him. I contemplated trashing the entire house to get rid of the frustration and hatred I was feeling, but decided against it, choosing to sit on the floor and cry instead. I couldn't understand why I felt so bad, or why it felt so good to let myself just bawl, but I knew that I had to get over it before Dom got back, or I might not be able to kick him out.   
  
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Part 20   
  
"How you feelin? Leon asked as he walked in my room and shut the door.   
  
"I'm ok," I answered, sitting up so he could take a seat next to me. As he sat down I put my arms around his stomach and rested my chin on his shoulder. "Thank you," I whispered in his ear.   
  
"You're very welcome," he replied, putting his hands over mine. I nuzzled his neck and started kissing him.   
  
"Do you want me?" I asked, my voice just about a whisper. I saw his eyebrow lift as he looked in my direction.   
  
"You know I do," he answered. I moaned lightly in his ear as I got up on my knees and turned his head to face me.   
  
"Then why don't you take me," I offered. He looked at me for some sort of approval and I answered him with a smile.   
  
He took his arm and pushed me down on the bed then crawled on top of me. I laughed loudly as he kissed my neck and shoulder. I put my hands on the back of his neck and savored the moment. Maybe, just maybe, we could finish what we'd started so many times before. He frantically unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to the ground. I didn't blame him for wanting to do this quickly, we didn't wanna be interrupted. Soon, all our clothes were scattered on the floor and we were under my covers trying to be as quiet as possible. I didn't know how much longer I could go without screaming... Leon was very good at what he did. He usually had to put his hand over my mouth to keep me from screaming out in pleasure. And he liked that feeling because he smiled every time he did it.   
  
When we finished, about two hours later, we laid in my bed in complete silence. Normally, I hated silence, I just could not stand it, but at the moment it just seemed like the right thing to do. I didn't know what Leon was thinking, but all I could think about what had just happened. I also figured out what an innocent was... he'd called me a virgin, which is obviously what I was. I guess he didn't mind taking it from me. I didn't mind giving it to him because I seriously liked him and I hoped we'd be a 'couple' after that. As I kept thinking about it, I prayed that he didn't have sex with me just to have sex with me, I hoped he remembered that I was a virgin.   
  
"Now how do ya feel?" he asked. I could just hear him smiling, I didn't need to look up and see for myself.   
  
"I'm ok," I repeated.   
  
"Just ok?!" he exclaimed. I looked up at him as I was lying on his chest and smiled.   
  
"You heard me."   
  
"Yeah, real cute," he sighed. I smiled and laid my head back down. I kissed his chest and he rubbed my side with his hand. Suddenly, the quiet became a little much... something was wrong. Z and Dom weren't arguing or anything, I didn't even hear them talking.   
  
"Where's Dom and Z?" I asked. Leon stayed quiet for a minute.   
  
"Dunno," he said.   
  
"Well, I gotta know what's goin on," I said, sitting up with the sheet wrapped around me. I grabbed the first thing I reached for on the floor, which was Leon's button down shirt and put it on followed by my pajama pants.   
  
"Wait, where you goin?" Leon asked, pulling the covers back over himself.   
  
"Come on," I said, walking out to the living room. I saw Z sitting on the floor in front of the couch with her head laying back.   
  
"What's up girl," I joked, smiling. I was in a great mood and I hoped it would rub off on her. She didn't answer me. I shrugged and headed to the kitchen where Dom was sitting at the table.   
  
"What's wrong with my sister?" I asked him.   
  
"Oh nothing, she just wants to kick me outta the house," he answered.   
  
"What?"   
  
"Oh yeah," Dom said, standing. "She gave me a wad of money and said get the fuck out."   
  
"That is not what I said!" Z yelled, stomping into the kitchen. "I simply said that you should get your own place because this isn't gonna work."   
  
"Well, ya know, I've got some duct tape out in the garage, I can hook ya up with a cardboard box," I said to Dom. I was in such a good mood, I wouldn't let anything ruin it. At that time, Leon walked into the kitchen and put his arms around me from behind.   
  
"I dunno what you're so happy about, Leon's gettin kicked out too," Dom said, pointing at him.   
  
"Come again," I demanded.   
  
"Your loving sister is kicking your loving boyfriend out as well," Dom said, smiling. I looked at Z. She looked down and I knew what Dom was saying was true.   
  
"You're kicking them out?" I asked. She remained silent, something she was never very good at. "Oh fuck that!" I yelled. "They're not goin anywhere, including Dom," I declared. I was finally standing up to my sister and it felt good. I looked at Dom, smiled, and winked. I was sick of her bossing him around as well.   
  
"Says you," Z finally said.   
  
"That's right," I said. "They're not leaving and you can deal with it. If not, you leave."   
  
"I live here!"   
  
"So do I!"   
  
After almost 5 minutes of thinking about it, Z agreed to let them stay. I smiled at my accomplishment and Leon and I headed back to my room where we had a second round. The next morning, I woke up and Leon was laying on his side with his back to me. I smiled and scooted closer to him, kissing his shoulder. I got outta bed, got dressed, and headed into the kitchen where Dom was sitting again.   
  
"Good morning sunshine," I said happily, dancing across the room. He looked at me with a lifted eyebrow.   
  
"What're you so damn happy about?" he asked.   
  
"Oh nothing," I sang.   
  
"Morning everyone," Leon said, coming into the kitchen. My eyes lit up as he walked toward me, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me so softly I barely felt it.   
  
"Where's your girlfriend?" Leon asked Dom, smiling evilly. I smiled and turned back to my toast I'd started.   
  
"Hey Leon, where's your buddy Sean?" Dom shot back. I tilted my head and turned to them.   
  
"Down the street, doin your mom," Leon said.   
  
"Oh ya know that's funny cuz last night when I was with your mom, she said he was kinda cute. Made me jealous."   
  
"Enough!" I interrupted. The day passed and Z remained in bed. I didn't care if she was mad at me or Leon or Dom… She finally knew that everybody was sick of her shit. 


	5. Parts 21 - 25

Part 21   
  
I'd spent the day and most of the night in bed, but I couldn't take it much longer. I jumped up and went into the kitchen. I was famished, so I searched for something edible. I settled finally on a microwave burrito and watched attentively as the small glass plate in the microwave rotated.   
  
"Hey," I heard my sister say. I sat up and looked at her. She looked somehow… different. I wasn't sure what it was about her, but there was something strange and unusual.   
  
"Oh my God," I said solemnly, "you had sex!"   
  
"What?!" she said, jumping around.   
  
"You did, didn't you?!" I screamed, jumping to my feet. I grabbed her arms and looked into her eyes. "I knew it!" I shrieked. She smiled shyly and put her hands over her face. She jumped onto the counter and sat, dangling her feet.   
  
"You are so fuckin embarrassin," she complained. I laughed and went back to the microwave to get my burrito.   
  
"So?" I asked, leaning against the counter. I had my plate in front of me and I was twisting the food around with my fork.   
  
"So what?" she asked.   
  
"How was he?" I replied, grinning slyly.   
  
"I am so not talking to you about this," she groaned, sliding off the counter.   
  
"Well who are you gonna talk to about it? Hector? I bet not," I laughed. She smiled and rolled her eyes.   
  
"Aright," she said, sitting at the table. She soon started talking hurriedly about the previous night and she was smiling more than I'd ever seen her smile.   
  
"Well, tell him to remember what I said," I told her, hugging her tightly. My baby sister was all grown up.   
  
"And what did you say?" she asked, pulling away. Her hands rested on her hips and I had to smile. She looked so much like me.   
  
"That if he hurt you I'd break his legs and punch him in the lungs," I said casually. She looked at me with her mouth gaping.   
  
"Actually, wasn't it punch me in the lungs and then break my legs?" Leon asked, a silly smile plastered on his face. I rolled my eyes.   
  
"I don't care what it was," I said, poking his shoulder, "but don't forget it!"   
  
"Like I could," he grumbled. As I walked back to my room, I could hear him mumbling something, then the undeniable sound of a kiss. I sauntered to the bedroom, actually quite depressed.   
  
"Phone," I heard Dom say through my door after a long, long time of silence. Well, not complete silence. I could hear Mercedes and Leon in the other room.   
  
"Who the hell…" I said softly, snatching the phone from the table. "Hola," I said sweetly.   
  
"Hey Z baby!" I heard. I smiled.   
  
"Hey bro, what's goin on?" I asked.   
  
"Ah, not much… Just need a favor." I rolled my eyes. That was my brother, always in need of a favor.   
  
"What is it this time, Hector?" I asked.   
  
"Well…" he went on to explain that a good friend of Dominic's was about to get into some serious trouble and he needed me to come get him. He said that he was a racing buddy of Dom and Leon, and when I heard that, I asked why he couldn't drive himself.   
  
"Z, please, don't ask questions, just help me out," Hector whined. I chuckled a little and agreed.   
  
"Can I talk to Dom right fast?" he asked before I hung up. I agreed and called for Dom, then went to pack for my trip.   
  
Almost an hour later, I was ready to go. Mercedes allowed Leon to have a short break so that she could say good-bye and ask me to say "Hi" to Hector for her. I laughed and headed out to the new Ferrari, finding Dom leaning against the passenger door. I looked at him with raised eyebrows, but he didn't respond. I couldn't see his eyes because of the sunglasses he wore, but I could've sworn he was staring right at me…   
  
"What the hell are you doin out here?" I asked pointedly. He kept his arms folded against his tight black t-shirt. "Well?"   
  
"I'm going with you," he rumbled. My heart sank to my toes, then flew into my throat.   
  
"What?" I asked disbelievingly. He repeated himself slowly, "Shut up, jackass," I said sharply, "Why are you coming?"   
  
"Because Hector asked me to. I figured I could brave a few hours with the Wicked Bitch of Baja for a friend," he said sarcastically. My eyes shot daggers into his back as I slid into the driver's seat. I unlocked the passenger door. When he opened it and set a foot on the floor, I put the car into gear and moved forward.   
  
"Fuck!" he screamed at me. I looked at him and smirked. He tried again to get into the car, and again, I pulled away. "You're really a bitch, you know that, right?" he said, trying for a third time to enter the car. I let him sit down and took off at high speed. He screamed a few things I couldn't understand, but safely closed the door.   
  
"You're a fuckin psycho," he stated seriously, glaring in my direction.   
  
I turned my head and snarled, "I've had just about enough of your shit, Toretto, and if I hear one more fucking word out of you, I swear to God, I'll crash this car." He smirked, but sat back in his seat.   
  
After an hour of silence, he decided to test me. "Cop," he said proudly, taking off his glasses. I looked at him damningly.   
  
"Aright asshole, you asked for it… Say your prayers, cuz you're about to meet your maker," I said firmly, wrenching the steering wheel to the side. The entire car shifted with every twist of the wheel and Dom was holding onto the roof via the open window.   
  
"Whoa, whoa!" he screamed, grabbing the wheel with his free hand. I kept my foot on the gas pedal, speeding up as we rapidly approached an old, busted looking truck. He looked at me with wide eyes, but I just smiled.   
  
"You done?" I asked as I brought the car to a screeching halt. We stopped a few feet away from the truck. Dom threw open the door and jumped out of the car.   
  
"You're fuckin nuts!" he yelled, pointing through the open door.   
  
"Get in," I ordered. He looked at me with disbelief.   
  
"Excuse me?" he asked harshly.   
  
"Get in the car," I repeated. He crinkled his forehead skeptically as he got closer to the car to get a better look at me.   
  
"You really are crazy, you know that?" he said, backing away from the car. I rolled my eyes and waited patiently. "You must be fuckin nuts to think I'm gonna put my ass in that car with your crazy self drivin… Fuck that! I don't wanna die!" he screamed.   
I leaned my head back, then closed my eyes and let out an irritated breath. "Get in the motherfucking car or I'm leaving you," I told him seriously.   
  
"Well as long as you're drivin, I'm not gettin in that damn car," he said, putting his hands up in front of him.   
  
"Fine, be that way," I said. I reached over and pulled the door closed, then took off. I progressed about a mile down the road, but couldn't leave him stranded. I cranked on the radio then pulled one of those u-turns that he and Leon were so good at. I stopped when I saw him sitting on the side of the road.   
  
"Get in," I said, a slight niceness edging my voice. He narrowed his eyes when he looked at me, but climbed in the car.   
  
"You're one crazy fuckin bitch," he said, his eyes focused on the road in front of us.   
  
"And you're a big, stupid asshole," I said, my eyes staring at the same area.   
  
"Good," he said sternly. I rolled my eyes and let out another annoyed sigh.   
  
"Well I'm glad we've established that," I said roughly. I was tired of listening to him talk, so I reached down and turned the radio on at nearly the highest volume. Some Spanish power ballad blasted our eardrums. I looked at the radio panel disgustedly as I listened to the lyrics about love and such. I gripped the tuner dial and spun it furiously, landing on some harder channel. As the heavy metal-esque music blared through the car's speakers, I thought about everything that had happened between that very moment and Hector's last trip to Mexico.   
  
"Look," Dom said after a few more hours of Spanish rock, "let's pull over."   
  
"For?" I asked, still focused on the road.   
  
"I'm hungry and I gotta piss," he said very matter-of-factly. I tossed him a sideways glance, but realized that I was hungry, too. It had been a few hours since either of us had had the chance to eat. I agreed and pulled into a Taco Bell. It was nice to be closer to the States.   
  
"Don't eat any beef," I warned as we walked in. He nodded and headed for the bathroom. I ordered a bag of chicken tacos and waited for Dom to finish in the bathroom so we could leave; the clerks were starting to worry me.   
  
"Let's go," he said when he emerged from the bathroom. I followed him out the door, but saw one of the register clerks start to follow us.   
  
"Fuck," I said softly, "Dom, get in the driver's seat."   
  
"What?" he asked. I handed him the keys and walked to the passenger side.   
  
"Now put your arm on the back of the seat, behind me, yeah," I told him. He did as I asked and found a taco to crunch into.   
  
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" I hissed as the man came closer to the car. I looked frantically at Dom, who was busy chewing away at his chicken, then to the clerk who was steadily advancing. Without thinking, I grabbed Dom's face and pulled him to mine, kissing him awkwardly. He struggled against me, but I held tight until the man turned to walk back into the store.   
  
"What the hell?!" Dom roared, sitting back in the driver's seat.   
  
"You know you liked it, you pervert," I said with an attitude, "Just drive," I instructed.   
  
My insides stayed knotted until my eyes forced themselves shut, heavy with sleep. The steady rumble of the engine and the darkness falling over the car, I was able to have a nice nap. When I woke up, we were still rolling steadily along.  
  
"Mornin, sunshine," Dom sneered sarcastically when I stretched out.   
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I said, looking at him hatefully. I almost had to laugh at myself. Here I was, trying so hard to make him think I hated him, when I wanted nothing more than to make him pull the car over right then and there!   
  
"There's still some food, if you're hungry," he said, his voice considerably softer. I thanked him and grabbed another taco.   
  
We rode in silence until we reached Hector's, except when Dom asked me to drive. I pulled into the parking lot of the shop where Hector worked.   
  
"Hector here?" I asked the man behind the counter. He nodded and called for him.   
  
"Z!" Hector yelled, running from the back of the shop. He picked me up and hugged me tightly. I was laughing the whole time.   
  
"Hey bro," I said, kissing his cheek. I got a little surprise for ya," I said, pulling him out to the street. The man from behind the counter followed. I didn't see him, but I could hear the wheels on his wheelchair squeaking.   
  
"Dom!" Hector yelled. He pried open the door and jerked Dom out of the car.   
  
"Hector, my man!" Dom replied, hugging him. They laughed, but Dom's voice was cut off when he looked at the guy in the wheelchair.   
  
"V?" he asked slowly. The man nodded and I could see tears coming to Dom's eyes. I watched the two as Dom walked over and hugged him.   
  
"How you doin, man?" the guy called V asked. He and Dom talked for a while, as did Hector and I. I found out that the man's name was Vince and he was hurt in a really bad car accident. He didn't have to stay in the wheelchair permanently, but he sometimes preferred it to walking.   
  
That night, we decided to have a "family" reunion. Dom and Vince were like brothers, I learned, and Hector really was my brother, so I took them all out. We found an amazing little restaurant and we all ate and joked and had a great time.   
  
"So, Hector," Dom said looking in my direction, "You didn't tell me your sister's such a bitch." Hector started laughing.   
  
"You've only been down there a couple weeks," Hector replied, "It usually takes a month or so for people to figure that out." He winked at me and I rolled my eyes.   
  
"Can we please just get through this meal without a fight breakin out?" I asked, feigning great annoyance. The three conceded and finished their food.   
  
"I think we need to leave tonight," Dom said to Hector and Vince, "It'll probably be safer to get V outta here as soon as we can." They agreed and started shoving the small bit of luggage he had into the trunk. Then we put him in the backseat and took off. I said good-bye to my brother and promised to call him when I got home.   
  
"So what is it with you two?" Vince asked, poking his head between the front seats. I looked at him and rolled my eyes.   
  
"Nothing," Dom said plainly. Vince didn't believe him and kept pressing, asking some pretty personal questions. "Nope, none of that," he told the curious man. I gave him another razor blade look. This time, though, he was cut.  
  
The entire rest of the trip was spent listening to Vince and Dom catching up and reminiscing. I heard something about someone named Letty, and I heard about a girl named Mia. I heard the most about Jesse, Brian, and Johnny. I found out who they all were friends of Dom and Vince at one time, but things had changed.   
  
"Mia's good though, I thought you'd want to know," Vince said, his voice full of concern. Dom thanked him brusquely but changed the subject. I reasoned that Mia must've been the girlfriend he'd left behind when he moved to Mexico.   
  
I drove on through the night, and slowly we made our way back to Baja. The whole time, Dom and Vince caught up. I heard nothing but the constant sound of their voices. I kept noticing Dom looking at me while his friend talked, and although I had to admit to myself that the looks he was giving me sent chills through my blood and through my entire body. He slid his sunglasses on, but still looked over.   
  
"Look," I interrupted, "I know you're lookin at me, so just stop it. I'm not a fighter, but I won't hesitate to crack your teeth if you keep givin me that look." He gave me a sideways glance, like he was trying to make me that he was confused.   
  
"See what I have to live with?" he asked, turning his attention back to Vince. I let out an aggravated sigh and slumped back to my driving. Moments later, there he was, looking at me again. I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore him. I only had to be with them for another hour.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 22   
  
"Home alone again," Leon laughed as I came into the room from the kitchen with my can of Mountain Dew and a handful of animal crackers.   
  
"Hope you like Half Baked cuz that's what I'm puttin in," I said, putting the Half Baked DVD in the player. I was a stoner every now and then and watching other stoners just brought back memories.   
  
"Hook me up with some animal crackers," Leon demanded as I sat in front of him on the couch.   
  
"Get your own!" I yelled. He growled as he grabbed my stomach and pulled me back against him. We watched the movie as we fed each other animal crackers and he downed my Mountain Dew.   
  
"That was not too cool!" I said.   
  
"What?" Leon asked innocently.   
  
"You drank all my Mountain Dew you thief!" I whined.   
  
"I'm sorry," he said sweetly, laying my head on his chest and kissing me. I cuddled up next to him and almost fell asleep. Before I could, he jumped up and started screaming something.   
  
"What?!" I yelled.   
  
"Stars! I wanna see the stars!" he said. I sighed irritably, but agreed. It was very hot during the day, but the nights were freezing, so I grabbed my sweatshirt, put it on, and we headed outside.   
  
"Jesus Christ! It's fuckin freezin!" Leon shrieked, running back inside.   
  
"Get your ass out here!" I yelled. "This was your idea!"   
  
He came back out after he'd grabbed another shirt and a blanket. We laid on the lounge chair together, wrapped up in the blanket, and stared at the stars. They were absolutely beautiful. I'd never really taken the time to really look at them and enjoy their presence. But Leon did. He acted as thought he was completely infatuated with the tiny wonders of the sky.   
  
"Lookin up at the stars with someone special..." he started. I smiled as I remembered something I'd hidden from Zoraida a long time ago.   
  
"How bout with somethin special?" I asked.   
  
"What're you talkin about?" Leon asked confused. I smiled as I got up and walked to the table that sat next to our pool. I reached under and felt the piece of tape and my most prized possession.   
  
"Meet Mary Jane," I said, carrying the joint back to the lounge chair.   
  
"Bring it on!" Leon said. I smiled as I obtained a lighter from the table as well and lit it, inhaling deeply. I inhaled once more before passing it to Leon who also inhaled twice.   
We continued to pass it back and forth, inhaling twice each time.   
  
"This shit is the shit," Leon said, his eyes rolling around. I smiled at the affect the chronic was having on him... it was great. I laid my head back and closed my eyes. I never got totally high to the point that I wasn't aware of myself... I never let it go that far. I cracked my neck slowly from side to side and looked at Leon who was already staring at me. He moved in quickly for a kiss, but I shot my hand up between our faces.   
  
"What is that?" he slurred. I smiled.   
  
"Give it to me," I said. He slowly handed me the joint and I finished it off.   
  
"Well, what do we have here?" a voice asked from behind. I jumped and turned around only to fall sideways, putting my hand on Leon's head to stop me from completely falling.   
  
"Z!" I squeaked. I swallowed and smiled. "What I a nice surprise." I tried to hide the stupid smile I always had whenever I got high, but it just wasn't happening. I looked at Dom, pointed my finger and acted like it was gun, shooting at him. I then looked at the unfamiliar face.   
  
"Hi," I said, pushing Z and Dom outta my way. "I'm..." I paused. "... named after a car," I finished, laughing uncontrollably. I heard Leon also laughing and my sister stepped in front of me.   
  
"You're high aren't you?!" she yelled.   
  
"Uh, shh!" I said loudly, covering my ears. "They'll hear you."   
  
"Who?"   
  
"Lawn gnomes," I said with big eyes. I stumbled back over to Leon and sat down on his lap.   
  
"You got bud?!" the other guy asked.   
  
"Not 'nymore," Leon said. Suddenly, Dom ran back in the house then came out with a large smile on his face. He whipped out a joint.   
  
"Fire it up!" I yelled.   
  
Soon, everybody was higher than the clouds in the sky... except for Z. She just refused to get high, the girl had never even tried it! I was laying on the grass, looking at the stars that appeared to be spinning, Leon was still on the lounge chair laughing at Dom who was trying to dance, and the other guy, Vince, was sitting on the ground with his knees to his chest and his head down. He was one of the guys who was serious about his chronic.   
  
"Come on Z!" Dom said, whispering. He stumbled over to her and put the lit joint in her face. "Try it."   
  
"I don't think so," she said, pushing his hand away.   
  
"Ah come on!" I said, trying to sit up. It took me awhile, but I finally did it. "Stimulate your mind," I continued, blinking stupidely. "It's not like you got shit to do tomorra, you don't have to go to work."   
  
"This ain't Friday!" Z yelled, referring to one of my favorite movies.   
  
"Actually, it is," Leon said, matter-of-factly. Even though he was high, he still sounded a bit smart.   
  
"No honey, it's Thursday," Z said slowly.   
  
"Oh," Leon laughed, looking at Dom. "I was close."   
  
"Take the fuckin thing!" Vince yelled outta nowhere.   
  
"Come on," Dom whispered, falling to his knees in front of her. "Don't you hear her? She's sayin 'smoke me... smoke me Z'." Z rolled her eyes.   
  
"Oh Jesus Christ! Give it to me!" she gave in. We all laughed and clapped as she inhaled over and over again.   
  
Before long, we were all high and enjoying life. Z and I were trying to dance, Vince remained in his same spot, and Dom and Leon were sitting on the ground... talking quietly. I stopped suddenly and looked at Dom then started laughing hysterically. Z asked me what I was laughing at and I told her, causing her to laugh as well.   
  
"What's wrong with y'all?" Dom asked, looking at us.   
  
"When you get high you start lookin like Sugar Bear!" I yelled.   
  
"Your mother," Dom said, nodding toward us. The rest of the night was a complete blur.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 23   
  
When I woke up the next morning, my clothes here wet and I was absolutely freezing. I screamed, but soon realized where I was. We were all still lying in the yard, having all been too high to care where we slept. I watched Leon and Mercedes, smiled at the sweet way he held her waist with his arm. Then I looked at Vince… For one of Dom's greasy friends, he wasn't a bad guy. He still occupied the same position he's been in the entire time we were smoking. I giggled a bit, surprised at his ability to stay put overnight. At last, my eyes wandered to Dom. I watched his chest rise and fall with the deep breaths he took.   
  
Suddenly, I felt a surge of power and confidence and completely uncharacteristically, I walked to his sleeping body. Luckily, he was a bit ostracized from the rest of the group, so I could efficiently walk to him. I stumbled a bit when I tried to stand, but took a deep breath and tried again. Eventually, I was able to get up and went to his side. I stared at his face. Smiling foolishly, I leaned down and forcibly pressed my lips to his. I felt him respond by doing the same. He opened his eyes and looked at me, obviously confused, but didn't stop. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me onto him. I grabbed the sleeves of his shirt and pulled him into a sitting position. His hands resumed the all too familiar task of roaming my body and I couldn't keep the excitement off of my face. I knew he could feel it radiating from my body.   
  
"Inside," he said seriously, standing up. He pulled me to my feet and picked me up, moving into the house. He swept through the house, stopping at the first available bedroom: Mercedes'. I jumped down and pulled him on top of me on the bed. We quickly undressed enough to complete the mission we'd come in for. I could feel his groans against my neck and moaned loudly, grabbing at the sheets on my sister's bed. I knew she never made her bed anyway, but she would definitely know what had gone on.  
  
I screamed his name and ran my nails over his clothed back as I felt myself ready to release the pent-up energy I'd been saving for so long. I could feel his body tighten as he prepared for the same, and couldn't help but moan out again.  
Minutes later, we were dressing. I smiled to myself as I thought about how badly I'd needed him… Wanted him. "I really can get anything I want," I thought.   
  
"What are you smiling about?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist. I instinctively bound my arms around his neck and kissed him gently.   
  
"Oh nothing," I said melodically. He rolled his eyes and leaned down to kiss me again. I reached behind my back and unwrapped his hands, then backed away from him slowly. I walked into the kitchen to find the gang still sleeping on the wet ground. I knew they'd come in when the sun started warming up, but pulled Dom into the living room, proposing another go-round.   
  
"You really do want to kill me, don't you?" he asked, smiling. I laughed, but put my arms around his neck again, kissing his lips.   
  
"Why would I?" I asked, walking away after I finished kissing him, "I'm not getting any life insurance money." I turned around to look at him as I leaned back against the kitchen counter.   
  
"Oh, that's it," he said, stampeding toward me. I squealed merrily and he draped me over his shoulder, carrying me into the living room. He dropped me onto the couch and laid on top of me once more, giving into my desire.   
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" we heard soon after we finished for the second time. I sat up to see Vince stumbling through the house.   
  
"What's up, man?" Dom asked, sitting only high enough to see his friend.   
  
"Bathroom…" Vince replied, hunching over.   
  
"Shit!" Dom cried, jumping up. He ran to Vince's aid and ushered him into the bathroom. We soon heard the sound of retching.   
  
"I guess he hasn't smoked that much before," I said naively.   
  
"Not lately, any way," Dom replied, smiling. He kissed me again and put his hand on my thigh, rubbing my leg. I leaned back and allowed him to continue his torture from beside me.   
  
We kissed again, this time only to be interrupted by "Ooh!" I looked up to see my sister and smacked my forehead. I shook my head and rolled my eyes at her, smiling. She grinned at me with a crazy look.   
  
"Oh!" she screamed, jumping around. She darted from the living room to the kitchen and I heard the backdoor slam. Vince slowly came out of the bathroom just as Mercedes was dragging Leon into the house.   
  
"She forgot me," Leon said groggily. Mercedes looked at me and shrugged, then took him into her bedroom. I heard her scream and tried not to laugh when she came running.   
  
"You fucked him on my bed?!" she screamed. I couldn't hold it in any longer and started laughing uncontrollably, nodding. Dom apologized, but she looked at us with mock disgust.   
  
"Sorry girl," I said when I was able to breathe. She shrugged and walked back to her room.   
  
"Night!" she called, slamming the door. I heard the lock click and smiled at Dom.   
  
"Where am I?" Vince asked, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. Dom helped him stand and took him into my room. A few minutes later, he came back out.   
  
"I hope you don't care…" he said, motioning toward the room. I shook my head and stood. I started walking toward the kitchen to find something to eat. As I was searching in the refrigerator, I felt Dom's strong hands on my hips.   
  
"You just can't get enough, can you?" I asked, turning into his arms. I raised my arms above my head to keep my food safe and kissed him again, pushing the door closed with my foot. I moved him from my path and sat my food on the counter, then set about preparing it. I made a sandwich, and when I sat it down and turned to put the extra ingredients back into the refrigerator, I could hear Dom chomping away on my sandwich.   
  
"You little bastard!" I accused, pointing at him. He smiled and shrugged, happily eating the sandwich. I grabbed the chow and pushed his head away with my other hand, then quickly slid between his face and his hands. I took the sandwich into my mouth and started eating while he held it in place. His chest vibrated as he rumbled with laughter. I ran my hands behind me and grabbed his hips, pulling up. He understood and set the sandwich on the counter, then hopped onto the counter. Directly, he resumed the position of holding my sandwich for me. I leaned between his legs, against the counter once more. I put my bent elbows on his thighs and ate slowly. He kissed the top of my head and we remained that way long after I finished my food.   
  
"I missed you," he whispered softly, making me grin. I pushed my head into his chest and sighed deeply.   
  
"So did I," I replied, "So did I."   
  
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Part 24   
  
Leon and I were lying on bed, he was on his back and I was laying on top of him on my stomach. We were both trying our hardest to get some more sleep, but for me, nothing was happening. Suddenly, the phone rang.   
  
"Every time," I said roughly, attempting to sit up. "Every damn time." I reached for my green phone and put it up to my ear.   
  
"Bueno?" I asked, almost demanded someone answer me quick.   
  
"This is Brian Spilner can I talk to Dominic?" that one sexy voice came on the line again.   
  
"Dominic!" I yelled. I waited for him to pick up on the other phone, but he never did. Now I was pissed. I got up and stammered through the living room, no one was there. I walked through the swinging door and saw Z and Dom in a position I never cared to see.   
  
"Eew..." I said softly. They jumped up and Z grabbed the sandwich she had been gnawing on from Dom's hands.   
  
"Telephone," I said coldly. I gave my sister a look and went back to my room. I shut the door, locked it again, and looked at Leon who was now sound asleep. I smiled and claimed my position on top of him again, knowing he wouldn't wake up. He kept telling me how he could barely feel me on top of him. I picked up the telephone from the ground and put it up to my ear to make sure Dom had answered.   
  
"What're you doin callin me again Spilner?" I heard him ask. I was gonna hang up the phone...   
  
"I need to talk to you," Brian said.   
  
"I... don't... care," Dom said slowly like he was talking to someone who was talking to someone who couldn't hear.   
  
"It's serious!" Brian yelled.   
  
"Fuck you! How do I know you're not still a cop!" Dom yelled even louder. He slammed down the phone and I hung up mine. Now, what the hell was Dom and Leon bringing into my house?   
  
Later that day, Z decided she needed a new outfit for the party we were having that night. As she was getting into her car, Leon ran toward me and almost passed me before he kissed me quickly on the cheek and continued toward the car. He jumped in and talked to Z before they headed down the driveway and sped off with squeaking tires. I smiled to myself when I realized I would have some quality time alone with Dom. I slammed the door behind me and looked at him, then smiled.   
  
"How you doin, Dom?" I asked as nicely as I could. He looked at me confused.   
  
"Fine..." he said slowly.   
  
"That's good..." He nodded and walked into the living room. I followed him.   
  
"I was just wondering," I started. "Who's Brian?" Dom stopped and turned to me.   
  
"What?"   
  
"You heard me." My nice voice was now becoming mean and bitter... I was starting to sound like my sister.   
  
"Just a friend..."   
  
"A friend? Didn't sound like a friend when you wouldn't talk to him."   
  
"You listened to my conversation?!" he yelled. I smiled.   
  
"You got a cop callin here," I declared, so evil and menacing, I surprised myself!   
  
"Look, Mercedes..." he started, but I was not gonna listen to his shit. I thought he cared about my sister! Now I found he's got a friend who's a cop?! I wasn't gonna have that. I ran over to him and punched him in the jaw. From the force of my running and the power of my arm, I knocked him down. I crawled in top of him and continued to punch him until I was violently pulled off him.   
  
"What the hell!?" I heard my sister yell.   
  
"What're you doin here?!" Dom yelled from the ground.   
  
"I forgot my purse, what's goin on?" Z asked.   
  
"Thank God for small favors," Dom breathed as he picked himself up off the ground.   
  
"Your sister's gone fuckin crazy!"   
  
"No!" I yelled, fighting Leon to let me go. As soon as he dropped me I pushed him away.   
  
"What is your problem?!" he yelled. I turned to Z, ignoring Leon.   
  
"He's got a cop callin here!" I said. Z's eyes widened and she looked at Dom.   
  
"Is that true?" she asked.   
  
"Z..." he started.   
  
"You gonna make me a liar?" I asked. He glared at me and we both knew he was caught.   
  
"He's not a cop," he said.   
  
"Bullshit!" I yelled. I started to run after him again, but Leon put one arm around me and held me back. "Get off me," I said, pushing him away.   
  
"What did I do?" he asked.   
  
"Look he's not a cop anymore!" Dom yelled.   
  
"Then why wouldn't you talk to him?" He remained quiet. He obviously didn't have an answer and I knew he was lying. I looked at my sister... she didn't look hurt or happy... she looked like she was about to whip out a knife from behind and stab him to death. I felt sorry for her, but she needed to know.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 25   
  
"I don't know what the fuck is goin on here, but I'm goin out to get my outfit," I growled through tightly clenched teeth. I spun around and clomped out to the car. I held my teeth in their position and raised my upper lip, baring my canines. I heard Dom pounding down the steps and watched through the rear view mirror as he ran to the driver's side of the car. I slammed the pedal and pulled away just as he reached the door. I kept on driving and didn't look back. I drove until the sky was black. I didn't know where I was going, so I drove. I kept driving, speeding up with every passing mile marker.   
  
"Where the fuck am I going?" I asked myself bitterly, biting my lower lip. As I thought about how deceived I felt, I suddenly became aware of a warm, wet sensation on my chin.   
  
"Holy shit," I whined, looking into the rear view at my bleeding lip. I leaned back in frustration and held onto the wheel with one hand, and wiped my lip with the other. I was soon growing tired, but looked at the road in front of me with confusion. I'd driven to the border without even noticing. I'd taken the road so many times that it was almost second nature to head there when I left the house. I thought about my brother and how happy he'd be to see me.   
  
I continued driving and stopped feeling sorry for myself, and started feeling pissed off. I went through the customs gate, where the officers knew me by name, asked me about the family and such. I held my anger in long enough to flirt with the few guards, then rushed to my brother's apartment. I stopped at an open convenience store and bought a big, big bottle of beer. I poured it into the street, jumped into my car, and high-tailed it to Hector's. I spotted his car and smiled evilly as I stalked over to it. I busted the bottle against the windshield, breaking both, then I dragged the broken bottle along the edge of the car. I looked sternly ahead as the alarm sounded. I watched as Hector came flying out of the building, holding up his pants with one hand while he ran to his car.   
  
"What the fuck are you doin?!" he screamed, throwing his arms in the air. A random girl ran after him, calling for him.   
  
"Hector!" she whined, with only a sheet wrapped around herself.   
  
"You set me up," I said as he inspected the damage done to his car. He ran his hand over the scratch.   
  
"I don't know what you're talkin about," he said, still looking at his car. I walked over to him stood there, holding the beer bottle tightly. I looked at the girl who was waiting for him, and she looked scared out of her mind.   
  
"Tell me what the fuck you think you're doing, double-crossing me, motherfucker," I barked. The girl ran up to us and melodramatically threw herself upon my brother, screaming for me to leave him alone. He looked at me, mystified. I kept my callous facial expression and held the bottle up.   
  
"Zoraida," he said over the girl's head.   
  
"Shut up, you stupid bimbo," I ordered to the girl who was still howling. She promptly resorted to whimpering as she slid down to the ground.   
  
"Now," I said, turning my attention back to my brother, "Who the hell do you think you are?"   
  
"Z, I didn't do anything, you gotta believe me!" he shouted. I wanted to believe him, but I couldn't.   
  
"Hector, do we even have the same parents? Because I know that no one in my family would do this to someone they loved," I snarled, narrowing my eyes. He grabbed the bottle from my hand and threw it on the ground.   
  
"Z, please, calm down," he said, trying to move closer to me. He nearly tripped over the girl at his feet, but huffed angrily. "You, go home," he ordered. The girl jumped up and ran back to the building. I stood looking hatefully at my only brother.   
  
"Not until you tell me where the hell your mind went," I sneered. He laughed and started walking back to his apartment.   
  
"Fine don't be reasonable," he said rudely, "Fuckin bitch, I swear to God."   
  
"Aright, asshole," I said, "Why don't you start answering my goddamn questions?" He just laughed and continued walking away.   
  
"Z, I didn't double-cross you," he said seriously. He turned to face me and I saw incredible sincerity in his eyes. He extended his arm, offering me his hand. I looked at him with disbelief, but rolled my eyes and took his hand. We were soon in the building and I was nearly trampled by the girl my brother had kicked out as she flew down the stairs. He escorted me up to his apartment.   
  
"Hector!" a man said, whistling. "I just saw Michelle leave... You got a new girl already, papi?"   
  
"Fuck you man, this is my sister," Hector said, turning me toward the guy. I looked at him, but continued on my way. Hector stopped and talked to him for a minute, but   
quickly ran up the stairs to meet me at the door.   
  
"So, explain yourself," I said, grabbing a Coke out of his fridge. We sat at the small dining table and he began telling me about Dom and the truck heists, the car racing, the situation with the Brian guy who kept calling. He explained everything. I found out about Jesse, Mia, Vince and Letty... All names I'd heard before.   
  
"So let me get this straight," I said, grabbing another drink, "Mia is Dom's sister, and she's in love with Brian. Brian is a cop who was sent to arrest Dom and his friends. Vince and Dom grew up together, and Letty was best friends with Mia, am I right so far?"   
  
"Yeah...." he said, leaning back in his chair. I continued.   
  
"And Jesse and Leon just showed up at the races one night?"   
  
"That's right," he replied. I crinkled my forehead and sat down.   
  
"And now, Brian and Mia are gettin married because they have a baby, and Letty is just hangin out with them. And Jesse was killed in a drive-by?" He nodded. "Aright, aright... And Mia wants Dom to give her away at the wedding, and it's gonna be a big deal, but Dom hates Brian, so he won't even talk to him."   
  
"Right, but Brian's not a cop anymore," Hector explained, "he lost his badge."   
  
"What the fuck? You didn't tell me that! Why did he lose his badge?" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up.   
  
"He let Dom go. He got caught with Dom's car, and the precinct took his badge." I looked at him and thought for a while.   
  
"Well..." I said thoughtfully, "How did he know that Dom was with me?"   
  
"I've seen him at races and shit... You know how it goes," he said, shrugging. I rolled my eyes again and exhaled loudly.   
  
"Well, bro," I said after I'd let my head clear, "I guess I need to get back." I stood and stretched, sighing deeply. I stumbled back against the wall and caught myself before I fell.   
  
"Why don't you crash here tonight?" he offered. "I need some help tomorrow anyways."   
  
"Aright," I said quickly, running to his couch. I could hear him laughing as I drifted quickly to sleep.   
  
"Night," he said, kissing my forehead.   
  
"Night," I replied, putting up my hand. He shook it and went off to bed. 


	6. Parts 26 - 30

Part 26  
  
"Where is she?!" I yelled, pacing back in forth in my living room in front of Dom and Leon. "She always tells me where she's going!"  
  
"Oh calm down, it's not that big a deal," Dom said. I turned to him with an eyebrow arched and wide eyes.  
  
"Not that big a deal?!" I yelled. "My sister is missing and you think it's not that big a deal?!"  
  
"Calm down," Leon piped up. I turned to him.  
  
"And you... stay out of it," I said.  
  
"You're over-reacting," he said.  
  
"Of course I'm over-reacting!" I continued yelling. "This is my sister we're talkin about here!"  
  
"There's another problem," Dom said. I looked at him, preparing to be annoyed. "We have a party tonight and only three people to run it." My eyes widened and my facial expression softened.  
  
"You and I got a real problem," I said, staring at him.  
  
"Yeah we do," Dom agreed, standing in front of me.  
  
"This is my sister," I said softly. I was almost ready to cry, but there was no way I was going to cry in front of Dom. He looked at me for a minute, never taking his eyes from mine.  
  
"You're amazing," he said thoughtfully.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"You... are... amazing," he repeated. I wanted to know why he made that comment, but a part of me was afraid to ask, so I just let it be.  
  
I knew my sister was ok, she could always take care of herself. I continued to worry, but not as much as I'd started out. I went outside and sat on the edge of our pool with my feet in the water. The party was happening in my house, with no one that lived in my house watching everything that went on. I didn't feel like partying, it wasn't the same without my sister. There was suddenly a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw Leon sitting next to me.  
  
"What's up kid?" he asked. I didn't answer as I turned back to looking at the light blue water in the pool. It was fun to look at the water when the pool lights were on. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Don't be stupid," I angrily told him.  
  
"Still worried about your sister?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," I answered, this time a little softer.  
  
"She's fine, you know she is," he said. I looked at him and it felt like the wind had just been knocked outta me. Leon was gorgeous and I already knew that, but when I looked at him that time, something was  
different. His eyes seemed deeper... like I could stare into them for an hour and never found my way out again.  
  
"You should come inside, get your mind off things," he said. I agreed, pulled my feet out the water, and he offered his hand to me. I grabbed it and he yanked me up with a little too much power, we ended up with our fronts pressed together and our faces an inch apart.  
  
"You're beautiful," he said, running his fingers through my hair. Something was weird... I still could barely breathe.  
  
"Uh, let's go," I spat out, yanking my hands from his and walking into the house. I greeted everyone I came in contact with and headed to my room. I changed into a pair of leather hot-pants, a back bustier with a fishnet top over it, and my favorite pair of plastic go-go boots. I fixed my hair, sprayed it down, and headed out to my party.  
  
As I was dancing with various men and women, I could feel Leon's eyes burning into my back every chance he got. And I noticed Dom wasn't even having a good time. All he did was sit on the couch with Vince and drink, and drink, and drink. I didn't know what his problem was and really, I didn't care. He was annoying me to the point where I was about to shoot his foot off. My sister needed to come home immediately.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 27  
  
"Who the hell are you?" a woman asked, standing over me. I opened my eyes and saw her face uncomfortably close to mine. "Oh, you're that Michelle girl that Hector brought back here last night, aren't you?" I looked at her sternly.  
  
"Move," I ordered. I was sleeping soundly, and did not feel like dealing with another of my brother's stupid friends. And especially not some bitchy girl.   
  
"Well," she said rudely, "you're disposable anyways, so be a bitch that's fine." She stood and walked away, joining another woman and a man at the kitchen table. I walked into the kitchen, glaring at the woman who's just been talking to me. I grabbed another Coke and pulled out the remaining chair then took a seat across from her. She looked at me dubiously, as did the other two. I glared at them all and silently went about sipping my Coke.  
  
Minutes later Hector walked in the front door. "Yo!" he called. He ran into the kitchen. "Where's she at?" he looked around quickly, obviously not seeing me.  
  
"Your hoe?" the bitchy girl asked. Hector looked at her with his face  
contorted.  
  
"Hector!" I yelled, jumping up. I ran to him with my arms in the air. I mocked the girl from the previous night. He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist and I wrapped mine around his neck. "Hector!" I wailed, laughing. I looked back at the group, who were just watching.  
  
"Letty, this is my sister," Hector said slowly. The girl looked at me with wide eyes but soon narrowed her gaze hatefully. I returned the death stare.  
  
"You're…" the other girl started. I saw Hector nod his head and smile. "Wow…" she said slowly. I looked uncomfortably from Hector back to the girl.  
  
"Am I?" I asked after a few minutes of deafening silence. The same girl smiled, but didn't let her eyes wander from my face.  
  
"Earth to Mia," the man said, speaking for the first time. I felt like a real outsider, and I wasn't too sure what was going on.  
  
"Well, let's go, no reason to make this last any longer than absolutely necessary," the girl Hector called Letty said. I looked at her, then I looked at my brother.  
  
"Hector?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. My hands found their usual place on my hips as my voice found it's normal, motherly tone.  
  
"Surprise!" he said uncomfortably. My face hardened and I exhaled noticeably.   
  
"Hector…" I repeated. He cracked after a minute and flopped onto a chair.  
  
"Well," he said so quickly I could barely understand him, "I thought that since you're here you could take the rest of the team back with you…" When he ended, it almost sounded like a question.  
  
"Do what?" I asked, full of attitude as usual. We'd grown up speaking Spanish and English, so I was used to hearing him talk fast, but I wanted to assure that I'd heard what I thought.  
  
"I thought that since you're here you could take the rest of the team back with you," he said to me. He turned to face the others, "God, I hate it when people need it spelled out for them!" The Letty girl snickered, and the other two just rolled their eyes.  
  
"No."  
  
"Ahh, Z! You're killin me! Come on! You've got Dom and Leon and Vince already!" I could tell that he immediately regretted mentioning Dom. "Shit Letty, I'm sorry," he groaned. She shook her head and waved her hand, signaling that she was okay.  
  
"What?" I snapped. She looked at me harshly, but I turned back to Hector. "What?" I asked, my voice a little softer. He took a breath and was ready to talk, but Letty interrupted him.  
  
"Nothing," she said roughly. She stood and slammed the chair back under the table and walked to the back of the apartment. We all heard the door slam and a harsh scream. I chuckled and rolled my eyes. I hugged Hector half-heartedly and yanked my keys off of the table and headed toward the door.  
  
"I'll call you from Baja," I said, slipping out the front door. I jogged down the stairs and out to my car.  
  
"Whoa! Did you think I was kidding?" Hector yelled. I rolled my eyes and looked at him. He pleaded with me for another half hour until I finally agreed to help this bunch of his friends out.  
  
"Do you have anymore criminals I need to hide?" I asked as we walked back up into the apartment. He laughed throatily as he opened the door.  
  
"I guess I should introduce you to everybody," he said, laughing. I introduced myself to the man and woman who had been sitting at the table, and lastly to Letty, who finally emerged from Hector's bedroom.  
  
"Well, Mia, Brian, Letty, Z… I guess I'll see you guys soon," Hector said after we loaded the small amount of luggage the group had. I hugged him and slid into the driver's seat. Mia and Brian climbed into the back, which left me up front with Letty. 'Oh joy,' I thought bitterly. We finished our good-byes and took off toward the border. I couldn't wait to see Dom's face when his sister, sworn enemy and ex-girlfriend showed up. I contemplated stopping to buy a camera, but figured it would be best to just drive.  
  
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Part 28  
  
"Who's up for body shots?!" I yelled. The whole crowd cheered. I laughed as I grabbed a shot glass from the cabinets, a bottle of tequilla, a lemon, and the salt. I headed into the living room, bumping in various things on my way, and plopped down on the couch.  
  
"Who's first?" I asked playfully, shaking the tequilla bottle in the air. There was another yell from the crowd before Leon emerged.  
  
"Me," he said proudly, putting his arms in the air. He was a little more than drunk, but it didn't bother me none. I took off my shrit, revealing a white bustier that resembled a bikini top and laid down. Leon licked my stomach before pouring the salt on so it would stay. He placed the lemon in my mouth and poured a shot.  
  
"1... 2... 3..." the crowd yelled. "Body shot!" Leon quickly lapped up the salt on my stomach, downed the shot, and took the lemon from my mouth with a short kiss. There was an applause from the crowd before the next guy stepped up... Dom.  
  
"Dom get outta here," I joked. But he was playfully serious about doing a body shot off my body.  
  
Het set everything up and performed the awkward event. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, considering he was fucking my sister. Suddenly, the back door slammed and the music stopped. I sat up and watched my sister walk in the room with her famous evil glare. I stood and staggered toward her.  
  
"Hey sis," I slurred as I ran into the same wall that had been causing me problems all night! "Who put that there?!" I yelled.  
  
"Hey Dom," Z yelled, looking passed me. Only her face wasn't as coarse as it usually was, she had this crazy grin and a twinkle in her eye. Either she was about to go psycho on poor Dom or she'd been drinking. By now, Dom was standing next to me.  
  
"Gotta surprise for ya," she continued. A pretty, yet manly woman stepped out from behind my sister.  
  
"How you livin Dom?" she asked, smiling. I looked at Dom and his eyes were big.  
  
"Ok, who are you?" I asked. "And where did this friggin wall come from?" I yelled, grabbing it and attempting to yank it outta my way, but it refused to move.  
  
"Walls, I tell ya," I said, wide-eyed.  
  
"Letty, what're you doing here?" Dom asked, sounding a bit frightened.  
  
"Wait, there's more," Z said excitedly. A very pretty young woman stepped in from the backdoor. She had beautiful, long black hair and a dark complexion.  
  
"Hey Dom," she breathed, obviously forcing herself to smile.  
  
"Mia," Dom happily greeted her. He was ready to hug her just as an incredibly attractive man came in. I looked at Dom and the man and someone could've cut the tension with a knife. Dom glared at him and he began breathing quickly. I knew something was about to happen and I noticed that my sister was smiling, she knew what about to happen and she wanted it to happen! Dom stepped forward and I refused to let anyone ruin my party, so I put my arm around his stomach and gripped his black shirt.  
  
"No," I said, looking at the man. "Let's go. We got a party to enjoy." Dom, for once, listened to me. He was definitely drunk. We walked back into the living room and I flipped on the music. Dom and I danced for a while before Leon just had to cut in, which didn't bother me. I laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist. What happened after that, I'm not too sure... I think I passed out.  
  
----------------   
  
Part 29  
  
I looked at my house, which had been nearly destroyed by the mass of people. A few partiers remained, having been too fucked up to drive home the night before. I saw a man and woman stumbling over each other and just rolled my eyes and went to my room. To my surprise, my bed was occupied.  
  
"Hey man," I said, pulling the blanket off, "You ain't got to go home but you gotta get outta here." He grumbled, but put his hand up so that I would help him stand. I did, then slammed the door after he exited my room. I dropped onto my bed and fell fast asleep.  
  
"Z!" I heard my sister yell. I sat up with a start and jumped out of bed.  
  
"What?" I screamed back as I walked into the hallway.  
  
"In the kitchen!" she answered. I walked in to see Dom and Brian standing against opposite walls, Mia, Vince, and Letty sitting at the table and Leon's arms around my sister's waist, leaning against the kitchen sink.  
  
"What?" I asked Mercedes bluntly, raising my eyebrows. She shrugged and smiled.  
  
"I just thought you should get up, we've got a busy day ahead of us," She said, leaning back against Leon. I glared at them both, but made my way to the refrigerator.  
  
"Move," I told Brian roughly. He slid out of my way and I grabbed one of the Cokes Hector hooked me up with before we left California. "Mercedes," I ordered, "Now."  
  
She followed me into the living room and we sat on the couch. "Wanna tell me what's goin on?" I asked icily.  
  
"Well," she started with more excitement than I was used to, "first we're gonna go shopping and get some clothes for Letty and Mia since it's way hotter here than in L.A., and then-"  
  
"Whoa, no, hold the phone," I said, crunching my forehead. My head hurt and I just wanted her to slow down. "Shopping with Mia and Letty? No, you go ahead, I'm not goin," I said roughly.  
  
"No, come on Z! You gotta go!" My sister protested with conviction, but I just was not ready for that.  
  
"Nope, nothin doin, sorry Mercedes," I said, walking back to my room before she could say anything. I heard her groan, but soon the three left. Home alone with four men? The possibilities seemed endless.  
  
"Hey Z!" Leon called. I stepped out of my room in a pair of tight, black shorts and one of my sister's shirts, tied at my back.  
  
"Yeah?" I asked, walking into the kitchen. Dom and Brian were still sending death stares to each other as I bent into the fridge to get another Coke. I could feel eyes burning into my flesh and sensed that one set were Dom's, and knew that the other absolutely had better not belong to Leon.  
  
"Well, the boys and I were gonna head down to the basement and play some pool, just wanted to know if you wanted to play," he replied, looking sincere. I tried to keep my cool and prevent the smile that threatened to adorn my face.  
  
"Sure," I said. The sweet tone of my voice shocked all present. Dom's eyes darted to me and I grinned evilly. "Come along," I said seductively as I shuffled outside. The five of us made our way downstairs. Dom busted open a case of beer he'd carried down, while Vince supplied everyone with cigarettes.  
  
"Aright," Leon said, grabbing a cue stick, "Do ya know anything about pool, or are we gonna hafta teach ya?" I shook my head confidently. He winked at me and tossed me a stick.  
  
"Okay, let's play!" Brian said, trying to ease some of the tension. I smiled at him and grabbed the cue ball.  
  
"Aright," I said, "So, I just use this stick thing," I held up the cue stick for emphasis, "To hit this little white ball," I held up the cue ball, "And get the colored ball into the holes, right?" They all looked at me to see if I was serious. "Right?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Vince said seriously, "Just like that."  
  
"Well hell, I can do this," I said. Dom snickered, but I tried to ignore him. "Who goes first?"  
  
"I'll rack, you break," Leon said, gathering the balls.  
  
"Hmm... Okay..." I agreed. He racked the balls and place the cue right in front of me.  
  
"Now, hit the cue ball with the cue stick and send this ball," he pointed to one of the balls, "into this pocket." I nodded and grabbed the cue stick, then laid it awkwardly on the table.   
  
'Good ole Hector,' I thought to myself as I tried to shoot the ball. I hit it at a bad angle and instead of hitting the other balls, I completely sent the cue around them.  
  
"Oops," I said, shrugging. Vince was leaning onto the table now, looking at me and shaking his head. Brian smiled and offered to help me out with my shot, "Nah man, I'm gettin it!" I said when my next shot arrived. Dom snickered and mumbled something to Leon, which made him laugh in return. "What?" I asked as I bent over the table right in front of Vince to take another awkward shot, which also went badly astray.  
  
"Here," Brian said softly, setting up the cue stick for me after Leon sent three balls into the pockets. I watched him as if I were soaking in the information, then pushed him away from the table. He backed up and grabbed another beer. I had a straight line of sight to Dom and saw him almost cringe when Brian was helping me, which made me smile. I adjusted my shirt so that the neckline was just a bit lower so I could attract a little more attention as I took my shot. Another bomb.  
  
"Okay, okay, I think I've got this," I said after another half hour of bad shots.  
  
"What?" The four of them said almost simultaneously. I looked at the table, then each of the men individually and back to the table.  
  
"Yeah, I've got this down," I said, smiling triumphantly. "Okay, let's go play some real pool." I started walking up the stairs. Leon followed me.  
  
"What?" he asked again. I explained about a pool hall that was a few miles away from the house. He wasn't sure if I was serious, but I made myself quite clear.  
  
"Aright boys, behave," I said as we stepped into the smoke-filled place. My lips were drawn into a cat-like grin as I looked around at the tables.  
  
I talked with the manager as Leon and Dom parused the tables, trying to find just the right one. When they finally decided, I sauntered over and watched them play for what seemed like hours. A few men played with the two while Brian, Vince and I watched.  
  
"Hey Z," Vince called. I turned to him and raised my eyebrows. He patted his lap and offered me a seat, to which I replied by laughing.  
  
"Holy Christ," I said after a few more games, "Ya'll are losin somethin awful!" They'd lost a substantial amount of money and I was thrilled.  
  
"Yeah, I think it's time to get outta here, fellas," Brian said, stepping up behind me. I hopped up and onto the table and crossed my legs.  
  
"No, I think you guys need to get your money back," I answered. Leon and Vince agreed, but Dom stayed quiet. I looked at him but quickly turned my attention back to the game that would have to happen.  
  
"And who's gonna win it back?" Dom asked sarcastically, "You?"  
  
"Well... Sure, why not?" I asked. They all looked at me, dumbfounded. "Hey!" I defended, "I told you, I got this down!"  
  
"Oh Jesus," Vince said under his breath. I rolled my eyes, then walked over to the large man that Leon and Dom had lost to. He turned slowly and looked at me.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked. I watched his suit as it stretched around his stocky frame with every word.  
  
"It's a pool hall, what do you think?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips. I shifted my weight more evenly on my feet and lifted my chin up.  
  
"Hmm..." he said with much amusement, "How much money you got?"  
  
"All I got is the money you took from my boy Leon," I said confidently. I looked at Leon, who was rubbing his temples. I turned my attention back to the man, and he laughed.  
  
"Well, I'll play you, but what am I gonna get when you lose?" he asked arogantly.  
  
"Don't worry about it," I said in a sexy, low voice, "I won't lose." He laughed and agreed to play.  
  
"Okay sweetie," he said, "How much?"  
  
"Hmm... 20 dollars a ball sound reasonable?" I asked. He nodded and suggested that I break.  
  
I let him rack and I continued playing with the same skill as before. I could feel Leon's cringing with every missed shot. I was so absorbed by my game that I didn't notice the man counting and hit him with the stick as I moved to take an obscenely obvious shot, which, again, I missed. All through the game, we bullshitted and he and his boys hit on me. I could almost see the smoke coming out of Dom's ears and I was enjoying every second. I learned that the man's name was Ron and he was one of the richest men in Mexico.  
  
"Well baby girl," he said after our game was over, "Looks like you lose." Leon was looking at me with wide, infuriated eyes.  
  
"Zoraida," he said through clenched teeth, "Let's go."  
  
"No, no!" I said, "I'm really startin to get the hang of this!" He looked at me incredulously, as did Brian and Vince. Dom tried to play cool by taking a drink from his empty beer bottle. I snickered.  
  
"Ya'll can't leave so soon," Ron said as Leon and Brian started to exit, "I ain't been paid."  
  
"Sir, she doesn't know what she's doin," Brian explained. "She's terrible at pool."  
  
"Hey! I'm right here! I can hear you, ya know!" I exclaimed. "That's it, I'm done fuckin around," I said roughly, "Gimme another one of those stick thingies." Leon rolled his eyes and handed me a cue stick. "Ron, rack em. I'm upin the ante."  
  
"Hey baby, you sure you wanna do that?" he crooned.  
  
"Ab-so-fuckin-lutely." I said hoarsely. He laughed, but racked the balls.  
  
"How much sweetheart?" He asked, leaning over the table. "30... 50...?"  
  
"Yeah, in pesos," Vince said sarcastically. I shot him a sly smile.  
  
"No Ron... I was thinkin somethin a little higher..." I said, slinking around to him. I sat on the corner of the table nearest him and ran my foot up the outside of his leg. He moved closer, his repulsively obese stature nearly engulfing me. I switched to the inseam of his trousers and kicked off my heels, then used my bare foot to raise his interest.  
  
"A hundred?" he asked breathily. I licked my lips and arched my back to move my face closer to his.  
  
"Nope," I moaned softly, breathing into his ear, "A thousand." He laughed and looked at me for confirmation.  
  
"A thousand dollars?" he said, backing away.  
  
"A thousand dollars?!" Leon screamed. Even Dom's head flipped my way. Vince was grumbling something and Brian's mouth was wide open.  
  
"Yeah, a thousand dollars," I said nonchalantly. I looked at Ron, "You up for it?" He nodded in agreement and racked.  
  
"A thousand bucks," he said, laughing. His crew was overcome with shock, too, as he handed me a cue.  
  
"I dunno about you," I said, leaning over the table, "but I'm ready to stop dickin around." With that said, I kept my head parallel to my stick and the table, but moved my eyes up to look at Ron, then broke, sending a few balls into pockets. His body stiffened as he saw my shot. "Let's play some pool," I purred.  
  
----------------   
  
Part 30  
  
"I hate shopping," Letty whined from the backseat. I looked at her through the rear-view mirror. She had the meanest look on her face and we were just going shopping!  
  
"Don't mind her," Mia said. "She's not really a shopper."  
  
"I noticed," I said.  
  
"Let's just get one thing straight," Letty said, poking her head between me and Mia's seats. "I don't do girly clothes."  
  
"That makes two of us," I said.  
  
"Then we'll get along just fine," she said, patting my shoulder. We laughed and she reached forward, flipping the radio on. There was nothing, but tango music with spanish lyrics and they obviously didn't like it. Letty grabbed my CD case from the backseat and began flipping through it furiously. She grabbed my DMX CD and popped that in, jamming the whole way to the mall.  
  
We pulled into the parking lot of the biggest mall I'd ever been to, got out, and headed in. We headed straight for Hot Topic and Letty stopped right at the entrance. Her mouth was gaping with a little smile. This was obviously her kind of store. We walked around and she grabbed every skirt she saw, every belly top, and all kinds of belts. I was carrying half the stuff she picked out to the dressing room.  
  
"I need more stuff!" she exclaimed.  
  
"No you don't," I laughed, putting all the clothes inside the room and shutting the door. I sighed heavily, out of breath, and headed over to Mia.  
  
"D'ya find anything?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, just a few hundred less than Letty," she answered, smiling. I laughed as Letty came out with her first outfit on. It was a black leather skirt, a red leather top, and knee-high black boots. She didn't wait for our opinion before stating that she was buying every outfit she had in the dressing room, even though she hadn't even tried them all on! I knew she was my kinda person.  
  
We bought lots of outfits from various stores, but most of them were from Hot Topic. We all shared a common interest in that store. When we left, we were dressed to kill and we all felt like we'd known each other for years. We'd been shopping for about three hours and we left feeling like sisters, especially Letty and I. We acted the same... we were both totally embarassing. That's how we had fun, by embarassing Mia.  
  
When we were heading out the mall with three bags in each hand, it took every ounce of our energy not to smile at all the stares we got from people. We were in a perfect line with me in the middle, Letty on my right and Mia on my left. Our hair blew in the wind behind us and we knew we'd have fun at the upcoming parties at my house.  
  
We got in my car and headed back home. The topic of conversation was either how much Dom hated Brian or me and Leon's relationship. I didn't realize how unprepared I was to answer questions about us. I guess it was because I didn't know how he would have answered them.  
  
"Letty, I'ma have to borrow a pair of them boots," I said, referring to the ones that went up to her knees and had eight large buckles.  
  
"How much you gonna pay me?" she asked. I looked at her through the rear-view mirror and she began laughing.  
  
"I'm just messin with ya," she said. "You can borrow em after I wear em out."  
  
"Funny," I said. We popped DMX in again and listened to it the whole way home.   
  
As we neared, I wondered what Z was doing with the guys... alone with the guys. I knew she wouldn't do anything with Leon cuz I was her sister. I mean, she wouldn't touch him, would she? 


	7. Parts 31 - 35

Part 31  
  
"Holy shit, Z, that was awesome!" Vince exclaimed as we all exited the bar. Even Dom was impressed by my proficient performance. I thanked them as we climbed into the Ferrari. Leon took the wheel as Dom, Brian and Vince slid into the backseat. I took my place up front and spun the tuner as we took off. I counted my money.  
  
"Mercedes!" I screamed as we walked into the house. She ran into the kitchen and stopped short when she saw us all coming in.  
  
"Holy fuck, where have you been? I've been worried sick!" she yelled. I tapped my foot and waited for her to finish.  
  
"Okay, well, now that you're done," I said, fanning the money in front of her.  
  
"Z..." she said, her voice trailing, "Where did you get that?" She snatched the money from my hands and sat down to count it. "It looks like there's five-hundred thousand dollars here!"  
  
"Let's just say she's a lot better at pool than you are," Leon quipped. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he winked. I noticed that it was strangely quiet and looked around. I noticed that everyone else had ventured off into the house, leaving my sister, her boyfriend and me all by our lonesome.  
  
"Jesus, Z," she said in amazement. I shrugged and winked at her.  
  
"Need lessons?" I asked Leon. He flipped me off and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and headed toward the living room. For the first time since the arrival of Dom and Leon, I felt an uncharacteristic niceness flowing through my veins. I knew that I didn't like Letty but I could deal with her, Vince and I got along, I loved my sister, and because of that I liked Leon, I knew that Dom and I would end up together and that Mia and Brian seemed nice, so I decided to share my wealth.  
  
"Hey Leon," I called. He peeked his head around the wall.  
  
"Yo," he replied.  
  
"Why don't you get everybody ready to go out?" I said sweetly. He looked confused, so I went on, "And Mercedes," she looked at me, "Let's go get us another car." She understood that I wanted to pull a quick job, but I was sure she didn't know why.  
  
----------------   
  
Part 32  
  
"Why do you want another car?" I asked, unbelievably confused, as usual. "We already have, like, 800."  
  
"Well, our's are so... boring," she answered.   
  
"Boring?!" I asked, raising my eyebrows.  
  
"Just get the fuckin tools," she demanded. I sighed as I got up and headed to my room. I gathered all my tools that I'd recently cleaned and started packing them in the bag. Suddenly, there were familiar hands on my stomach and I smiled.  
  
"Where you goin?" Leon asked, his voice low and very sexy. He pressed his cheek against mine and wrapped his arms all the way around me.  
  
"Gotta take care of some business," I replied, smiling.  
  
"No..." he whispered. "No... stay home, I haven't seen you all day." I giggled as I put my hand on his cheek.  
  
"Sorry babe, gotta go," I said, grabbing my bag and walking past him. "Let's roll," I said to Z as I passed her.  
  
"Wait, wait," she said. I turned to her. "We should take someone."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I have two ladies in mind," she answered, opening her laptop and turning it toward me. I smiled at the brand new black Jaguar Arden and red with silver stripes Dodge Viper.  
  
"Always had a thing for the redheads," I said, smiling and shaking my head. "Well, let's take..." I started, looking up. "Him."  
  
"Me?!" Brian yelped. I laughed and looked at Z.  
  
"Him?!" she said.  
  
"Sure," I said, shrugging.  
  
"Why me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He obviously didn't wanna go and I really didn't care. He's the only one I could stand at the moment. I couldn't very well take Leon cuz I wouldn't have been able to keep my hands off him and we couldn't take Dom cuz he was bein an asshole. Mia wouldn't have went and Letty was too busy tryin on her clothes.  
  
"You're sane," I answered. He finally agreed and I headed passed him to the door. "And you're cute too," I joked, poking him in the stomach. I led the way to my Hemi Cuda, claiming the driver's seat, Z took the passenger with her computer in her lap, and Brian hopped in the back.  
  
"Talk to me, where we goin?" I asked, once we were on the road. Z began typin away on her computer. She gave me a few directions and we pulled in front of a large, three story house.  
  
"Whoa," all three of us whispered at the same time.  
  
"Which one is this?" I asked.  
  
"The Jag," Z answered. The girl always had a soft spot for Jaguar's. We got out and headed up the driveway.  
  
"Come on, you!" I yelled at Brian. He rolled his eyes, but got out and followed us. I pulled out a tiny, calculator sized gadget and pressed the red button. The garage door opened and I flashed a quick smile in Brian's direction.  
  
"Let's do this," I said. We walked in and I passed the "key" to Z. She jammed into the lock on the car door, twisted the top, and yanked it out. She opened the door just as I popped the hood.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, what's this?" I asked, horrified at the sight. The car had triple wires and porcelain casing, which meant if I removed the wrong wire, the alarm would go off.  
  
"What?" Z asked, her voice full off worry as she jumped out the car. She and Brian stood next to me and checked things out.  
  
"I got it," Brian said. He grabbed a blue wire and a yellow one, then he closed his eyes.  
  
"What are you psychic or somethin?" I yelled.  
  
"Shut up," he said. My eyes widened.  
  
"Tell me to shut up again and I'll beat you like a red-headed step child!" I said.  
  
"Shut up," he repeated. I took a deep breath, but contained my anger. I'd wait til later to kick his ass.  
  
"Grab that," he said, not letting go of the blue wire and pointing to the other end of it. I did as he said and as he counted off we pulled the wire out. The alarm didn't go off, so I knew we were ok.   
  
I set everything up, shut the hood, and Z started the car with the key that just happened to still be in the ignition. She rolled out as Brian and I headed back to the Hemi Cuda. I had him read me directions that were set up on the computer and we headed to the next house. We got out and headed up to the garage. I opened it and Brian and I stepped in. Z pulled up and soon joined us.  
  
"Mmm..." I mumbled, running my hand on the beautiful machine in front of me. Brian and I took care of the hood and Z unlocked the doors. I got in because there was no way I was gonna get anyone drive that car. Brian took over my Hemi Cuda and Z took the Jag. We headed out and were driving just fine until I saw three cars take up the three lane street.  
  
"We got company," I said into the walky-talky that only Z and I had.  
  
"Terrific," she replied. After a few seconds she said, "it's Ron."  
  
"Who's Ron?!" I exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I kicked his ass today at pool."  
  
"Did you hustle him?" I asked, annoyed.  
  
"Maybe..." I rolled my eyes and slammed my head against the head rest.   
  
"Beautiful," I said to myself. Suddenly, a car pulled up next to me and instructed me to roll down the tinted window. I did so and looked at a large black man.  
  
"Pull over!" he yelled. I stopped and pulled over, looking in my rear-view mirror to see Z and Brian also on the side of the road.  
  
"Why I always got ta get the big thick motherfuckers?" I asked myself. The large man came to my window and pointed a gun at me.  
  
"The fuck?!" I squeaked. He motioned, with the gun for me to get out. I did and saw Z and Brian out as well. We were soon standing next to each other, with our hands in the air.  
  
"What's this about Ron?" Z asked.  
  
"I want my money," he said.  
  
"I don't have it," Z said.  
  
"Give it to me or I shoot your sister," he said, pointing his gun at me, which meant there were two now pointing at me.  
  
"That'll be the day," I said, looking to the side.  
  
"You shut up!" another man said, a shorter man. After a lot of negotiating, the men took the Viper and left happily. I was so mad, I could feel my face burning. Z got in the Jaguar and told me to ride with her. I strongly refused because it was her fault I lost my Viper and got in the car with Brian.  
  
We were driving in silence for the longest time until Brian said something, which didn't make the night any better. He announced that he was lost. We drove aimlessly around, looking for a road I knew and looking for Z's car. I don't know how we got seperated and I didn't care, all I cared about was getting home. Then there were sirens.  
  
"Can this night get any worse?!" I yelled.  
  
"Shut up," Brian said, slamming his foot on the gas, which threw my head against the head rest. I reached around and pulled my seatbelt on. This guy was crazy. We were now riding at 95 mph and we lost the cop, quite quickly actually.  
  
"Are you sure you were a cop?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, well I did spend some time with Dom," he answered, smiling. This guy had such beautiful blue eyes... but not anywhere near as beautiful as Leon's green eyes. I just couldn't wait to get home, lay down... but nothing coulda prepared me for what was happening at my house.  
  
----------------   
  
Part 33  
  
"Ah great," I snarled as I looked around for the car containing Brian and my sister. It was nowhere to be seen, so I decided to look around. Suddenly, I heard sirens at a distance, but I intended to keep it that way. I put my foot to the floor and hauled ass home, hoping she'd know the way. I should've stayed out and looked for them, because when I pulled onto my road, my house wasn't the dark, rural place I'd left it.  
  
"What the hell...?" I asked as I drove around the place. Cars were parked all over the street and the house was positvely trembling as music coarsed through the night. I wasn't sure how involved Dom was in this defamation of my home, but I knew he had to have a big part in it. I squealed intot he driveway and bursted through the kitchen door.  
  
"Dominic!" I boomed. People parted and let me through to the living room where Dom was sitting on the couch with a leg over his shoulder. I walked around to the front of the couch, puzzled, and saw him entangled in... Letty. I was seething.d  
  
"You," I said hatefully to him, pointing, "Outside. Now!" I stomped out the front door and slammed it behind me. Soon Dom followed.  
  
"What is it now?" he asked, exasperated. I looked at him with a mix of hate, confusion and jealousy. I was hurt.  
  
"What is it now?" I nearly whispered. He looked at me questioningly and I screamed, "What has it always been?" My voice cracked with force and emotion. I felt my eyes burning as I tried to control myself.  
  
"Look, Z, listen," Dom said, sitting on the hood of some car. I looked at him with narrowed eyes. He waved me over and I sat beside him, sighing noticeably. I blinked away the tears in my eyes and looked at him. "Z, you know that... Well, I do care for you, you're a great person..."  
  
"But you just don't like me, 'like that,' right? That it?" I asked sarcastically, standing up. My pride was aching.  
  
"Dammit Zoraida!" he yelled, pounding on the car. He jumped up and was uncomfortably close to my face. "Why?" he screamed, "Why is it that every fucking conversation I try to have with you turns into some goddamn boxing match?" I turned my head to hide the fierocity in my face, "Huh?" he yelled. I turned on my heels and started to walk away. "Don't walk away from me," he said virulently, grasping my arm as he had the last time we'd gotten into a physical altercation.  
  
"Hey asshole!" we heard. Our heads both snapped around to see my sister climbing out of the passenger seat of the red Hemi Cuda. "Get your hands off my sister." The cold, metallic quality of her voice seemed to scare him a little, but he never loosened his grip. I could hear Brian cursing softly as he raced around and over to Dom and I.  
  
"Dominic," he said soothingly, "Don't do anything you're gonna regret," he warned. Dom looked at him icily, then tightened the bone-crushing grip he had on my upper arm. I looked at him expectantly.  
  
"Are you stoned?" Mercedes asked harshly. "Did you hear what I said? Take your goddamn hand off her. Now!" he refused to yeild, instead, stared deep into my eyes. If he hadn't had such a strong hold on me, I might've been able to leave the situation. "One more chance," she warned. He glanced at her, but turned back to me.  
  
"Dom," Brian said again. He ignored the shorter man and continued staring at me.  
  
"Okay motherfucker, your funeral," Mercedes said roughly. I was spellbound as I watched her draw her fist back and hit him with full force. She knocked him onto the ground, but he didn't release my arm, so I went with him. I screamed as he landed on top of me.  
  
"Dom, no!" Brian and I screamed simultaneously as he rebound and was on his feet, figting with Mercedes. I was scared, considering that he outweighed her by at least 150 pounds, but she was a lot stronger than I'd anticipated.  
  
I jumped ot my feet and stumbled up the front walk "Leon! Now!" I screamed. He jogged outside and upon seeing Mercedes, Dom and Brian tangled up, he ran to them. Brian and Leon were working on pulling Dom away, and I took my sister by her waist and helped them yank the two apart.  
  
"You are one crazy fuckin bastard!" She screamed at Dominic, pointing and trying to squirm away. I held her fast. Dom tried to get away from Leon and Brian, who each had an arm, but they were surprisingly forceful and held him steady.  
  
"You fuckin bitch!" Dom screamed at the two of us. We looked at each other to see if we could figure out who we was talking to specifically, but it was no use.  
  
"Come on, man," Leon said, trying to drag Dominic back inside, "You don't wanna do anything else you're not gonna remember but you're gonna regret tomorrow morning." Mercedes snarled at Leon's back as I kept hold of her waist. She was still trying to get away, but I wasn't letting her go anywhere.  
  
"Stop," I commanded. She quit struggling when the three of them were out of sight. She let out a hair-curling scream and kicked the front fender of an extremely offensive domestic car in front of the house. I looked at her dubiously, but she just huffed. She looked at me, and I was unable to speak, so when I tried to thank her, no sound came. She nodded, and walked around to the side of the house and climbed down into the basement.  
  
"Shit Zoraida, you need to get it together," I scolded myself. My legs felt like they'd fall out from under me, so I slid into the driver's seat of the car Mercedes and Brian had shown up in. Too caught up in the moment to think, Brian had left the keys in the ignition. I silently thanked him, threw the car into gear, and sped off toward Ron's place.  
  
"This is for you, Mercedes," I said as I approached the home. I saw a limo in the driveway and pulled around it, then slammed on the brakes in front of it. "Aright Ron, here I come," I whispered as I pounded on the front door with my sore arm.  
  
----------------   
  
Part 34  
  
I stormed into the house and slammed the door behind me.  
  
"Everybody out!" I screamed over the loud music. "You stay in," I said to Leon. Everyone stopped what they were doing whether it was dancing, smoking, or eating, in Vince's case, and looked at me.  
  
"I said everybody out!" I repeated. Still no one moved. "Get out!" I screamed louder than I ever had in my entire life. The people jumped and were quick to scramble out the doors. Just as the last person was out, Dom came through the back door.  
  
"Get out," I said to him.  
  
"I live here," he replied.  
  
"Leave," I demanded.  
  
"No," he refused, shaking his head. I'd had enough. He'd hurt my sister, called me a bitch... I was just fuckin finished with him. I stomped toward a drawer under the sink, opened it, and pulled out a 9mm. I aimed it directly at Dom's head.  
  
"Mercedes," Leon said, calmly.  
  
"I said get out," I repeated. Dom stood there, looking only in my eyes.  
  
"You can't make me leave," he rumbled.  
  
"No?" I asked with a crazy grin on my face. I pulled the hammer back with both my thumbs. Leon came around my side and stood next to me.  
  
"You don't wanna shoot him," he said.  
  
"You don't know that," I answered quickly.  
  
"Gimme the gun," Leon said softly.  
  
"I'm gonna shoot someone today Leon and I really don't want it to be you," I said annoyed. Just then, we heard the ever popular sound of police sirens. We all stood in silence, waiting for them to pass, but they didn't. The tires squeaked out front as the cars came to a stop at my house. We heard them yelling and the sound of feet running toward the house.  
  
"Aright let's move," Leon said quietly. Dom and I continued staring at one another as Leon gathered Letty, Mia, Vince, and Brian from the living room.  
  
"Let's go," he said.  
  
"I'm not goin anywhere without my sister," I said.  
  
"We gotta go," Mia begged.  
  
"Then go!" I demanded.  
  
"I'm not leavin without you," Leon said, looking at me.  
  
"Well I'm not leaving without my sister!"  
  
"Goddamn it," Leon growled as he stomped toward me. Before I realized what he was doing, he'd picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder and, in the process, took my gun. I began screaming and Dom was quick to cover my mouth. I tried biting him, but he acted as though nothing hurt him.  
  
I was kicking wildly and beating Leon's back as I was carried to my Hemi Cuda and thrown in the backseat. Dom jumped in the front seat with Letty; Leon and Vince were in the back with me, and Brian and Mia occupied another car that must've been left in the scramble when people were leaving. As the police rounded the corner, we pulled out and were fired at before they decided to shoot at my house. I lifted my head from the ducking position I was in to see my windows being shattered along with the rest of my house... our house.  
  
"My home," I whispered. "I'm homeless."  
  
"You're not homeless," Leon said. I looked at him with eyes so big.  
  
"I'm not?" I asked. "Did you not see the bullets flyin through the windows?"  
  
"You're tellin me outta all them people that was at that party, you're not friends with none of em?" Dom asked.  
  
"We have to go to Hector's," I said quietly, ignoring Dom.  
  
"Are you stupid or somethin?" Dom asked.  
  
"Hey Dom, come on," Leon said, defending me, I guess.  
  
"We're escaping L.A., not making it known where we are," Dom said.  
  
"Well where would you like to go?" I asked. "I have a cardboard box and some duct tape if ya like."  
  
"We'll figure somethin out," Leon intervened.  
  
"We have to find my sister," I said after a moment of thinking.  
  
"Where could she be?" Dom asked. "Oh I forgot, she owns you, not the other way around."  
  
"Hey, shut up," Leon said, anger obviously surfacing.  
  
"I'm not in for your shit Leon," Dom said angrily.  
  
"All you guys shut the fuck up!" Letty yelled. I remained quiet and looked out the window. I was worried about my sister as well as the cops. Why did they raid my house? And how the hell did they know where to find me? Sure I had a record, but that was for street fighting and a few D.U.I's, I'd never been arrested for stealing cars because Z and I were two of the best in the world.  
  
I turned and looked at Leon. He was talking quietly with Vince. He had one arm resting on the back of the seat behind Vince and the other was on his leg. He had a gorgeous silver band on his thumb. I loved anything silver, but there was something about that ring that really caught my eye. I put my fingers around the ring and watched it sparkle as the lights of Baja passed by.  
  
"You like that?" Leon asked quietly, but his voice still remained sexy as ever. I simply nodded. He took it off and held it in front of me. I slowly took it from him.  
  
"You want it, it's yours," he offered.  
  
"Shut up," I said.  
  
"I'm serious." I looked at him. "Try it on," he said. I put it on my thumb and the first thing it did was slide off. We both laughed.  
  
"We'll hook it up with some thread, it'll fit perfect."  
  
"You're not givin it to me," I said, looking at him.  
  
"You don't want it?" he asked.  
  
"No, I do. I just..."  
  
"Take it," he said, place the ring in my palm and closing my fingers around it. "Maybe we could get it to fit on that finger," he said, pointing to my left ring finger. I looked at him and arched my brow. We never said another word to each other.  
  
"Ok, how much money does everyone have?" Dom asked, lifting his hips for easier access to his wallet.  
  
"I've got thirty," Letty said. Dom threw his wallet in her lap and she took that as a hint to check his money. "Dom's got twenty-seven."  
  
"Thirty-six," Leon said. I remained quiet. If we had to stay in a hotel, I had enough money for all of us for two weeks.  
  
"Vince," Dom said. Vince handed all his money to Leon. He paused and counted it.  
  
"Two dollars and thirty-six cents, Vince?" he asked.  
  
"I haven't won a race in a while," Vince defended himself.  
  
"Mercedes," Dom said.  
  
"Uh... 50," I answered quickly.  
  
"Well then," Dom continued. "We got enough for a hotel." Of course I had a lot more than 50, in fact, I had about four hundred and seventy-three dollars in large bills, but I wasn't letting all these people use my money. My sister taught me that and I swore I'd always remember. Just then, there were sirens.  
  
"Jesus-fuckin-Christ!" I yelled. "Will I ever catch a break?!"  
  
"What should I do?" Dom asked.  
  
"Pull over," Letty replied.  
  
"What?!" Dom yelped. Letty turned around and snatched my gun from Leon's lap.  
  
"We're ready for em," she said, pulling the hammer back.  
  
Dom pulled over and we all waited in silence for the cop to approach. When he did, Letty jumped out the car and aimed the gun at him. The other officer in the car got out and was heading toward Letty on my side of the car. I pushed the door open and the cop ran into it, but his hand managed to knock the gun outta Letty's grasp. I jumped out and kicked the cop in his nuts before beating him to the ground. I heard Dom, Leon, and Vince get out as the other cop headed toward me.  
  
"Just cuz my woman's moppin the floor with your buddy is no reason for you to join in," Leon said just before kicking him. I continued kicking and punching the cop on the ground until I realized... the man wasn't moving... he was dead, so was the other cop.  
  
"Oh my God!" I screamed, looking at my blood soaked hands. "I killed him! He's dead!" At that moment, arms seized my waist and carried me back to the car and we took off again. I stared at my hands and the blood on my shirt.  
  
"He probably had a family," I said, raising an eyebrow, but staring at my hands. "A wife... kids..."  
  
"You don't know that," Leon said, putting his arm around me. I demanded that Dom stop the car. I jumped out and threw up all over the place, then passed out.  
  
----------------   
  
Chapter 35  
  
"Zoraida," the less-than-smooth voice of none other than Ron greeted me. My arm hurt like hell, but I had to pay my sister back for helping me.  
  
"Hey Ron," I said sweetly. I let my voice drop to a sexier octave before I continued speaking. "So, are you gonna let me in?"  
  
"That depends," he said, moving himself closer to me. God the man was a disgusting pig.   
  
"On?" I raised my eyebrows and licked my lips slowly.  
  
"Are you here to steal from me again?" he asked coolly, bringing his face closer to mine. I had to keep from gagging.  
  
"No, I thought we could work somethin out," I said, allowing my eyes to cloud with determination. It was the only way to keep my body from taking control and turning to run away.  
  
"Well in that case," he said, trying to sound sexy, "come on in."  
  
I walked into the house, and it was the biggest home I'd ever seen. Glass chandeliers hung from the cathedral ceilings, the rooms were huge and lavishly furnished. Even the carpet looked like it cost at least a million bucks.  
  
"So Ron," I said, keeping my voice low, but businesslike, "about this agreement."  
  
"Ah, yes, the agreement," he repeated. He waved me into a study-like room and offered me a drink, which I gladly accepted. I sat on the large chaise lounge, which was made from ivory imported from Africa and upholstered with genuine silk, Ron told me later. "What are you interested in?" he asked, sitting across from me.  
  
"Well, Ron," I cooed, "I want your car."  
  
"Oh!" he laughed, "The one you tried to steal from me tonight?" he over-emphasized the word "tried," which almost made me cringe, but I kept my cool.   
  
"Yes, the Viper," I said coolly.  
  
"Well, Zoraida, that car is my pride and joy, I can't just give it away, know what I mean?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in my direction. Sadly, I knew exactly what he meant. I agreed and he led me upstairs. "Leroy," he said, stopping a man in the hallway, "Call my wife. Tell her to stay out with Carlos for the rest of the night. I'll be... Busy." His man-servant nodded and Ron just laughed so hard. I had to swallow an enormous lump in my throat, but managed to keep myself from choking. The man was wearing so much cologne and was just a hog.  
  
He walked into the bedroom suite's bathroom and emerged momentarily, dressed in some kind of shiny marterial. I was sure it was silk, but I didn't want to be there any longer than I needed to be. He crawled into his bed, then ordered me to undress. I started to walk into the bathroom, but he stopped me. "Zorada!" he said, trying to be sexy again, "Why you goin in there? The show's out here."  
  
"I was just gonna go slip outta these clothes," I said, forcing myself to be as sexy as I could. "You know, leather is so constricting." His eyes lit up with a thought, but I was ten steps ahead of him. I moved closer to the bed and turned around so I could sit next to him. I ran my hand across his lips, then across the bed, then across my lap. He laughed in agreement and requested that I get undressed just a little faster. I smiled and stood, then proceeded taking off my pants. I was thankful that I'd thought to wear cute panties, cuz I didn't wanna look like a totoal dumbass. I feeled the hot leather from my skin, then went to work on the tight shirt. The fabric gave way and I was able to yank it over my head and toss it to the floor. I shuffled over to the bed, a thousand thoughts running through my mind. I climbed under the covers and waited. I waited for a few minutes, but nothing happened. "Ron?" I purred. I sat up and looked at his face. He was sleeping.  
  
"You motherfucker!" I whispered. I slapped his face, hoping to wake him up so that I could get the car keys, but he wasn't waking up. "Aright, Ron, wake the fuck up!" I said. He wasn't listening. I jumped off the bed and ran around to him. I slapped him again. "Holy shit," I said softly, "He's not breathing!"  
  
With the quickness, I gathered my clothes and dashed out of the room. I was looking around for a way to get out of the house when a tall, muscular, attractive man ran into me. "Hey buddy," I said.  
  
"Hello," he said, his voice rising and falling. I smiled at him. "Who are you?"  
  
"Ron's mistress," I said quickly.  
  
"Well, Ron's mistress, I suppose you'd like a ride home," he crooned. I smiled and ran my tongue across my teeth.  
  
"I'll ride with you anywhere." I felt a little silly, making such suggestive comments to this man while I stood nearly naked in front of him.  
  
"Well, that's a cute outfit," he commented, "How about we go see if it's still that cute on the floor of my car?" I smiled.  
  
"What kinda car is it?" I asked.  
  
"A Viper." My eyes lit up. I agreed and we were on our way.   
  
I asked him to take the keys so he could turn it on, "Because I love to fuck in a roaring beast," I whispered. He kissed me full-on and I didn't mind kissin him back. We got into the car and I was all ready to go. He climbed in and turned on the car. I smiled as it came to life. He started to get into the backseat, but I pulled him into the front. He slid the seat back and I sat on his lap. We started goin at it pretty rough until there was a hair-curling scream.  
  
"Shit!" he yelled, throwing me out of the car and off of his lap. I knew it would only be a matter of time before someone found Ron's body lying there on the bed, but I'd also hoped it'd be a little later. Nevertheless, forgotten, I climbed back into the car with my clothes and sped off toward the house. I stopped at an abandoned park a few miles away from Ron's to dress, then I headed straight for my home.  
  
"What the shit is this?" I said quietly as I stared at what should've been my house. I saw red and blue lights, so I turned the car around and sped away. I parked in the garage of a friend of mine and hid the key in a drawer, then began walking home. A few yards down the road, and I'd be just in sight. But then, I was stopped by a police car.  
  
"Zoraida Moreno," the officer said over his megaphone, "You're under arrest."  
  
"Holy fuck," I thought. I stood grounded and waited.  
  
"Hey cutie," one officer I was pretty familiar with said.   
  
"Get away from me," I snarled at him. He held his hands up to show that he wasn't gonna touch me.  
  
"I'm not gonna hurt ya baby," he said slyly.  
  
"Yeah, that's for damn sure," I replied, taking a step away from him. I heard the sound of about a dozen guns preparing for fire.  
  
"Look, Zoraida," the officer said, "We just wanna take you in to ask you some questions."  
  
"Then why did he just say I was under arrest?" I asked quickly, interrupting him.  
  
"Damn it, that's it, let's go." With lightning speed, he was behind me and in trhe process of removing his handcuffs from his belt. I had to think fast.  
  
"You fucker!" I screamed as I slammed the back of my head into his face. He howled in pain and I caught him before he fell to the ground. I grabbed his gun and shoved him to the dirt. He was holding his nose, which was probably broken, and writhing in pain. I kicked his face and knew I'd hit his nose when he screamed with even more pain. The other officers were all over me, ready to take me down, but I stood with the gun pointed at the sleezy cop's face.  
  
"Come on boys, you really wanna get into this?" I asked, using the same tone that had worked on Ron earlier. They were slowly advancing and closing in around me. I turned off the safety.  
  
"Moreno," one of the men said, "Put the gun down, we don't want this." he sounded moer like a hostage negotiator than a police officer.  
  
"What?" I asked, "This?" I pulled the trigger and shot the already injured policeman in the leg. Or arm. I don't really know, but I know I shot him. However, the next thing I remember, I was on a piece of rockand dressed in the ugliest blues I'd ever seen.  
  
"Where am I?" I asked instinctively, even though I knew exactly where I was.  
  
"Mexico City Women's Correctional Facility," the burly female guard who was seated behind a wodden desk answered. I looked back and saw that the rock had been a bed. Ha! A bed, right.  
  
"Well, how long am I gonna be here?" I asked through the bars. She stood and moved slowly to me.  
  
"From these papers," she said, looking down. I waited for a moment or two with no answer.  
  
"Well?" I asked impatiently.  
  
She looked up, a crooked smile on her face, "Looks like you've got yourself a long wait," she said. "Five at least." and with that, she reclaimed her perch. I laid down and thought about the past ten years without our parents. Hector moved out to California as soon as mom and dad died, and Mercedes had a really hard time dealing with it, but I... Well, I just shoved it all off like it was no big deal, then started going about my business and stealing cars.  
  
"Hey! Hey!" I yelled after a long time of thinking and selfish reflection. The same guard walked down to my cell again and looked in my eyes.  
  
"Yes, princess?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"Don't I get a phone call?" 


	8. Parts 36 - 40

Part 36  
  
When I awoke, I was lying on the biggest bed I'd ever been on in my entire life. I looked around and saw the cream colored walls with various painting and pictures with mirros all over the place. I saw a shiny dresser with two cell phones occupying the space along with a TV. I looked to my right and saw Leon laying next to me with his eyes closed.  
  
"You went through my wallet," I said, my voice hoarse. Leon chuckled.  
  
"You're a liar," he said. I smiled and lifted my eyebrows as I sat up.  
  
"You're a thief," I said. Leon smiled and nodded as he opened his beautiful sea-green eyes to look at me.  
  
"Ya ok?" he asked, sounding very concerned.  
  
"I'll live," I nodded. We stayed silent for a minute before I realized we were alone. "Where is everyone?"  
  
"Vince is downstairs looking for an alcoholic beverage, Dom and Letty are in their room, and Mia and Brian are in theirs... well, they should be," he explained.  
  
"Dom and Letty have their own room?" I asked. Leon looked at me and I guess he remembered Dom and my sister being together.  
  
"Yeah," he slowly answered. I rolled my eyes and nodded... boy was he gonna hear it from me later. Just then, one of the phones rang.  
  
"You or me?" I asked, referring to which phone was ringing.  
  
"I believe that's you. You have that dainty, girly ring," he answered. I laughed.  
  
"And what kinda ring do you have?" I asked.  
  
"A manly one," he replied with a squeak in his voice. I got up and answered my phone.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Mercedes?" came my sister's voice. It was weak and low, I knew something was wrong.  
  
"Zoraida where are you?" I asked with deep concern.  
  
"I don't have very long, but I'm in a code red for g.t.a. 911," she said just before hanging up. That was our code... code red was prison, g.t.a was grand theft auto, and 911 was pretty much code for 'get me the hell outta here'. I hung up and looked at Leon.  
  
"Where's Z?" he asked. I couldn't answer him, I was so angry. He and Dom made me leave. It was our fault Z was in jail.  
  
"Goddamn it!" I screamed, throwing my cell phone at the wall and watching it bust into a thousand pieces. I screamed once more while stomping toward the open windows that led to the balcony. I grabbed onto the metal rail and squeezed as hard as I possibly could. I looked at my white knuckles and that's when I noticed they were clean of the blood from the cop and I wasn't even wearing my shirt, I was wearing Leon's faded blue button-up.  
  
"What happened?" he asked from behind me.  
  
"My sister," I breathed, turning to him. "Is in prison. We gotta get her out."  
  
"Shit," Leon sighed. "Well, we can always..."  
  
"No, we can't. There's no time," I cut him off, knowing he was gonna suggest we steal cars and sell them or race.  
  
"What do you mean 'not enough time'?"  
  
"We've gotta get her out tonight," I said, already finished formulating my plan.  
  
"And how do you propose we do that?" I looked at him, smiling. "That's never a good thing," he said, referring to my smiling.  
  
A few minutes later, I had everyone in my room and I was ready to explain my idea. I knew it would be hell getting these people to risk their lives for my sister, but I sure as hell was gonna try.  
  
"We're gettin her out," I said.  
  
"We know that," Leon said. "How?"  
  
"We're goin to jail," I smiled.  
  
I explained my plan: since Vince was the craziest, he was to get on a harness and climb up the side of the wall of the prison to my sister's window and let her know the plan. Letty would be positioned outside with binoculars to see if the guards call back up. Brian would be with Leon and Dom. He would use his old cop i.d to get Z out of her cell to be transported to another holding area. Leon and Dom would be the guards that escorted her out. I would wait outside the prison in case of emergency. And Mia would be our getaway because neither Dom nor Brian would let her do anything else. It was the perfect plan and it would work, it had to.  
  
"This is absoutely fuckin crazy," Dom said, voicing his opinion as usual.  
  
"It's crazy, but it could work," Brian said, causing everyone to look at him.  
  
"Either you're in or you're out, right now," I said. I looked at Leon.  
  
"I'm in," he said, placing a toothpick in his mouth. There was no doubt in my mind that he would say yes, but I still smiled. I looked at Letty.  
  
"I'm in," she said. I looked at Brian.  
  
"I'm in."  
  
"I'm in," Mia said. I finally came to Dom. We looked at each other for a minute until he finally nodded.  
  
"Ok, let's do this," I said, standing. I instructed everyone out to the Hemi Cuda. Once everyone was out, Leon stopped me.  
  
"Wait a minute," he said.  
  
"What is it?" I asked, knowing we had no time to lose.  
  
"I wanna marry you," he blurted out. My eyes widened and I stopped breathing.  
  
"What?" I quietly asked.  
  
"I wa..." he breathed. "Need to marry you. I have to be with you."  
  
"Leon why are you doing this now?" I asked.  
  
"In case somethin happens, I wanna know that you agreed to marry me." I looked at him and knew I wanted to say yes, but I couldn't remember how to pronounce it. Then I looked in his eyes and everything came to me.  
  
"Yes," I said, smiling brightly. "And I will marry you. Even if it's in some cheap chapel where the preacher has a criminal record." We laughed and shared a quick kiss.  
  
"Come on guys, we don't have all day," Brian interrupted us.  
  
"One second," Leon said. Brian left and I turned back to Leon. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his silver ring. It had the yarn wrapped on one side and I smiled.  
  
"Let's pray," he said as he took my hand. He slowly slid the silver band down my left ring finger... it fit perfectly. He must've wrapped it when I was asleep.  
  
"Come on!" Dom yelled from the hallway. Leon and I sighed together and walked down the hall, got in the elevator, and walked out to my car.  
  
"I gotta question," Vince said, raising his hand.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"Where do you plan on getting a harness or did you want me to just fly up the side of the building?" I smiled.  
  
"Smartass," I said. I got in the trunk of my car and looked at all my supplies: two harnesses, two sets of binoculars, two sets of folding tables with various tools for locks... I basically had two of everything; I was always prepared.  
  
"Oh," Vince said.  
  
"Got a police badge in there?" Brian joked.  
  
"I do actually," I said, tossing things out of my way in search of the badge. I finally came to it under my red wig and tossed it at him along with a tan trench coat just so he looked the part. I handed Letty a pair of binoculars with night vision. Vince strapped on the harness and I pulled out five microphones and attached them to everyone's shirt along with the battery pack behind them in their pants. I gave them all an ear piece and we were set.  
  
"Everyone good?" I asked.  
  
"I got another question," Vince said, once again raising his hand.  
  
"I'm not your teacher Vince, what?!" I yelled.  
  
"How do you suppose we all fit in this perty red car?" he asked.  
  
"We put you in the trunk," Letty suggested.  
  
"See that lovely white van over there?" I said, pointing to it in another parking lot. They all looked then returned their gaze to me. "We're borrowin it."   
  
"Well, I have a question," Dom said. I looked at him with evil eyes cuz I just knew he would have something smart to say.  
  
"What?" I sighed.  
  
"Say we're in there, everything's goin fine, then the guards give us a little trouble and say... one of us gets taken hostage by one of the guards. What do you do?" he asked. I thought about it for a minute, looking at everyone.  
  
"Shoot the hostage," I answered. Dom shook his head once, then again as he stared down at me.  
  
"Come again?" he asked.  
  
"Shoot the hostage. Go for the good wound and the guard can't get away with them."  
  
"You're crazy," he said.  
  
"That would be affirmative," I said. Everyone laughed as they headed over to the white van. I grabbed my padded, black, leather vest and black hair tie, then I shut the hood and jogged to everyone else.  
  
"Alright, alright, alright," I said as I approached. "Time for the song and dance." Then, the awful smell hit me. "What is that smell?" I asked, annoyed. Everyone looked at Vince as did I.   
  
"Was that you?" I asked. His face turned red and he looked down. "Oh Jesus, get away, get away," I said, swatting at him. "Everyone ready?" I asked smiling.  
  
"Now why are you smilin?" Dom asked. I didn't answer him. I put my vest on and pulled my hair up into a tight ponytail on the top of my head. We all got in the van and headed to the prison where Z was. When we got there, Mia parked us in a lot a few yards from the prison.  
  
"Wait, there's a problem," Leon said once we'd all gotten out. Everyone, including myself, looked at him.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"How're we gonna find Z's cell?"  
  
"Oh shit," I said, hitting myself in the head. "Letty will you go grab the computer that's in the front seat?" She nodded and ran back to the van.  
  
"A computer is gonna find her cell?" Dom asked. I narrowed my eyes, raised my eyebrows, and looked at him. Letty came back and handed me the laptop. I set it on the ground, opened it, and opened the only file on the desktop. I typed several different codes and a window popped up with a face that had female features... she was my friend.  
  
"Good morning Mercedes," she said with a computerized voice.  
  
"Jewlz, find Zoraida's cell," I demanded.  
  
"Aim toward target, please," Jewlz said. I held up the computer and aimed it at the prison. The lid had a built in camera. "Zoraida Bonita Moreno, age 26, location: level three, holding cell 112."  
  
"Thank you Jewlz," I said.  
  
"You're welcome, Mercedes. Good luck." I closed the laptop and looked at everyone. Their mouths were open wide and their eyes were even bigger.  
  
"How much did that cost?" Leon asked.  
  
"Nothing," I answered, standing. "I designed her." Leon looked at me for a minute and I didn't why he was giving me such a strange look. Did I really appear to be that stupid to him? I handed the computer to Letty.  
  
"Alright let's roll," I said. "Everyone hear me ok?" I asked into the microphone. I got a yes and we headed toward the prison.  
  
I told Mia to keep her ear piece in in case of an emergency. I showed Letty where to stand right next to the driveway where cop cars would come in. Dom, Leon, Vince, and I stood before the barbed wire fence.  
  
"Great," Vince said. "Now there's a fuckin fence blockin our way."  
  
"No matter," Brian said. He pressed the buzzer on the control panel outside the gates.  
  
"Identify yourself," came a voice.  
  
"Detective Brian Spilner here to transport a prisoner," he said in his 'cop tone'.  
  
"In the middle of the night?" the man asked. Brian looked at me.  
  
"Well sir, it was a long drive," he covered himself.  
  
"Ok, we'll open the gate."  
  
"May I ask a favor, sir?" Brian asked.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I'll need at least two guards greeting me at the front to help escort the prisoner."  
  
"Of course, Mr. Spilner," the man said, obviously quite irritated.  
  
"Thank you," Brian said, matter-of-factly. We waited silently until the gate began to open loudly. I smiled at Brian.  
  
"You're good," I said. He shrugged.  
  
"Well, what can I say?" he said. I laughed and turned to Vince.  
  
"Ready?" He nodded slowly as we headed down the walk. I asked Letty to find out the coordinates of Z's cell. When we got them, I pointed exactly where it was.  
  
"How do you know all this?" Vince asked. I only looked at him. What was I supposed to say, that I've been in and out of this prison my whole life? I think not.  
  
Vince headed to the side of the building, twirled the wire and hook above his head, and threw it up to the barred window. The prison was quite old fashioned, still having the barred windows; after all, it was Mexico. He quickly climbed up after having practice from all the trucks they'd jacked. That's the last I saw Brian, Dom, and Leon... they headed into the building. I pressed the ear piece into my ear so I could hear everything.  
  
"What's going on here?" I heard someone ask. They didn't answer. There was punching.  
  
"Nice," Dom and Leon said at the same time. They laughed as they took the guards' uniforms and put them over their clothes. They headed up the stairs and down the long corridor to Z's cell where they followed a cop with the keys. They stood in front of Z's cell.  
  
"Thanks," Brian said. The cop left and Dom and Leon took Z.  
  
"You really are crazy," Z said.   
  
"Thanks, now shut up," Dom commanded. They followed Brian down the hall.  
  
"We got trouble," I heard Letty say. "Cops have just pulled up the driveway. Get outta there!" she said. I turned to see two cops running toward the front door.  
  
"Oh shit," I whispered, jumping behind a bush. There was lots of commotion in my ear piece once the cops were inside.  
  
"They got Leon!" Dom yelled. "We need some help in here!"  
  
"I'm goin in!" I said before thinking. I loved Leon... I had to try and help him.  
  
"No!" Leon yelled in my ear. I ignored him. I ran into the front lobby where one cop was on the ground and the other held Leon hostage with a gun to his head. Brian had a gun pointed at the cop and Dom did the same from behind. I grabbed a gun from the cop that was down and pointed it to the cop that held Leon. Z was nowhere to be found.  
  
"You got a shot?" I asked Dom.  
  
"I got a shot!" he yelled.  
  
"Take it!" I said.  
  
"I'm takin it," Dom warned.   
  
"You got nothin!" the cop yelled. I looked at Leon.  
  
"Shoot the hostage," he whispered. I ground my teeth as I winced. I dropped the gun to his leg and pulled the trigger. I shot him just above his kneecap and off to the left. He yelled just before falling to the ground, holding his leg.  
  
"Jesus Christ," he breathed. I shrugged and raised my eyebrows. I looked back at the cop just as he was raising his gun toward Brian. Dom shot him down. My breath escaped my lips and I couldn't get it back. I was just about over seeing dead people. We located Z and Dom and Brian helped Leon out as quick as possible.   
  
----------------   
  
Part 37  
  
We rode in silence. Everyone was crammed into a white van, and there was not a word spoken. We finally reached a hotel, and I was led to a room that held Leon and my sister's stuff. We walked in and immediately, Mercedes fell back onto a bed. I looked around, and the whole place seemed surreal to me. Air hung thick around the room, and I could barely breathe. Seconds ticked by slowly, the sound emitted from some unseen clock. I couldn't think, my head was pounding. I'd just escaped from prison. Granted, it was a Mexican facility, so it wasn't hard at all for them to get me out, but the idea just wouldn't leave.  
  
"I'm a fugitive," I said softly. Luckily, no one heard me. I was sure that Mercedes was asleep, and Leon had made his way into the bathroom to tend his wound. I needed air.  
  
The night was hot and muggy, which made it just as hard to concentrate outside as it had be while I was in the room. I gripped the cast iron railing of the hotel's balcony. I looked to my left because I'd heard noises coming from the room. I tried to listen, but the blood pounding in my head was too loud.  
  
The door opened and I could hear shouting, but couldn't distinguish voices or decipher whta they were saying. They sounded angry, but I never could've proved it. "Women," I heard. Finally, my invalueable senses were returning.  
  
"Oh Jesus," I said pointedly as the infamous Dominic Toretto stood beside me on the balcony. I rolled my eyes and turned my head away from him, then moved my body a few feet away. I wished I could've taken him into my arms right then and there, made up for the time we'd lost since the arrival of Letty, but I couldn't. Letty. What the fuck kinda name is that?  
  
"It's kinda nice out tonight, huh?" Dom said softly. I watched him look down at his hands, which were folded. He took a deep breath, then put his head back, rolling it from shoulder to shoulder. I could hear the bones popping as he straightened himself out. He stared straight ahead, not looking at me or anything else, just staring. His eyes closed after a moment, and he went back to leaning onto the railing. We were both silent.  
  
"Dom, can I ask you a question?" I said after a long deliberation. He turned to me and raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Go on," he nearly ordered. I was slightly taken aback, but shrugged it off and continued.  
  
"I've been doin some thinkin and... Well, I'm trying to find out what happened with us? I mean, first it's me, then it's you-" I was motioning with my hands, but he grabbed them.  
  
"Whoa, whoa," he interrupted, "Slow it down. Back up. When was it ever me?" His eyes were on fire, and his voice was strong. He threw my hands back to me and took a step backward. He'd learned about grabbing me.  
  
"Shit, Dom, when hasn't it been you? I mean, you just come into my life outta fuckin nowhere, then when I finally start warming up to you, you become this big asshole!" By then, I was really excited and nearly jumping with anger. With every 'you,' I pushed his chest, causing him to stumble, but only slightly.  
  
"I think you need to chill the fuck out," he said harshly.  
  
"Chill the fuck out? Okay, fine, I'll chill the fuck out. Whatever Dom, fuck you." And with that, I stormed back into my sister's room and slammed the door, then I flopped onto the bed.  
  
"Whoa, hold the fuckin phone here," Dom yelled, bursting into the room. Leon had started hobbling out of the bathroom when I came in, and was almost completely out when Dom came in. "I risked my ass for you tonight, don't that mean anything? No, I forgot," he said, throwing his arms up, "you don't give a fuck, right? Yeah, I know, you don't care about anything except yourself and keepin tabs on your sister. Oh, newsflash, Z, she and Leon are gettin married." I sat up and looked at him, then at Leon, who was busy trying to get back into the bathroom. I looked at Dom again. "Yeah, that's right. See the ring on her hand? Yeah, you're pissed, huh? Mad that she made a decision without your permission. You're fuckin hot, aren't ya?" he was talking with a harsh, low whisper that made my skin prickle.  
  
"Get out," I growled. He stood straight and crossed his arms.  
  
"Nothin doin," he teased. He was flirting with disaster.  
  
"Get the fuck out of here right now, or I swear to God I'll fucking kill you," I said in the most evil tone I'd ever heard myself use. He showed little sign of change, but started to open the door.  
  
"Don't be pissed at me because you're a spoiled fuckin brat," he said, closing the door behind him. I could feel tears in my eyes, but they wouldn't fall. I grabbed my shoes and took off, slamming the door behind me. I ran and ran, but I didn't have a destination. I kept running. Down the stairs. Around the corner. Past the office. I kept on and on until something obstructed my path and tripped me. Then, the weight of the world seemed to crash down on top of me. As my skin connected with rough gravel, I deduced that I was in the parking lot and must've been running in circles. I could feel my entire body shaking as I began crying. It wasn't until that moment that I realized what a wreck I was emotionally.  
  
I cried and cried. Cried over Dom, cried over my parents, hell, I cried over just about everything. The more I tried to stop, the harder and more painful my sobs became. Soon, there was someone lifting me up and turning me toward them. I just slunk against the body and continued crying. I felt myself being moved into another pair of arms and could just barely feel a sensation of weightlessness. Then I fell asleep, and continued to cry.  
  
----------------   
  
Part 38  
  
"You have pissed me off... far beyond," I laughed as I stared at Dom. He stood there, staring at the ceiling. "Stay away from me, stay away from my sister... or I'll shoot you," I said softly and completely serious.  
  
"And she's serious there too... Dom," Leon called from the other side of the room. Dom glared at him. "Sorry," he quickly apologized.  
  
"Fine," Dom replied roughly. He walked across the room and sat in the chair.  
  
"I wish he would get hit by a bus," I said to Leon.  
  
"Oh rub a lamp," he said. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"You are so cute," I told him. He smiled.  
  
"I'm sitting here... wounded... and all you can say is 'you are so cute'? You shot me!"  
  
"Leon... you told me to," I whispered. He closed his eyes and laid his head back on the chair. I looked at his leg, wrapped in towels, and it was almost unbelievable. It was practically gushing blood... the whiteness of the towel was being overcome slowly by bright red then dark brown.  
  
"Babe..." I said, looking back up to Leon's face.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"You're goin to the hospital," I told him.  
  
"No, I'm not goin anywhere," he refused.  
  
"You're gonna bleed to death." His eyes fluttered open and they immediately went to his leg.  
  
"Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed. I called Vince and Dom over and they picked him up.  
  
"You're comin right?" he yelled to me.  
  
"Baby I can't," I said sadly. He demanded Dom and Vince stop and turn him around to face me.  
  
"Why not?" he asked. I smiled a sad smile and looked at him. He eventually understood that cops were probably searching the hospital and I would probably get recognized. That's why Dom was gonna stay in the car while Vince took Leon inside.  
  
"I love you," he said. I smiled again and took a deep breath.  
  
"I love you." They turned him around and carried him out the door. "I love you," I whispered. I turned and looked at Z who was completely passed out on one of the beds. I didn't feel like staying in the room so I took a walk. I walked down the long corridor of our floor, took the elevator to the floor below, walked that hallway, then took the elevator to the lobby. I walked around, looking at the paintings and posh furniture.  
  
"Mercedes," I heard someone say. I turned around.  
  
"Hi Hector," I said plainly, then turned back around. Hector?! Hector?! I spun around again and my saw my brother standing next to a very pretty African American woman. "Hector!" I screamed just before jumping on him and wrapping my arms around his neck. I felt him laugh as he spun me around.  
  
"What're you doing here?!" I yelped once he put me down.  
  
"Came to tell you I got married!" he exclaimed. My eyes widened and I looked at the woman again. "Mercedes," he started. "This is La'Desta, La'Desta... my sister Mercedes." I shook her hand nervously.  
  
"It's nice to meet you," I said.  
  
"You too," she replied.  
  
"Can't believe you got married bro," I said, nudging Hector with my shoulder. He laughed and put his arm around my shoulders as we headed to the elevator.  
  
"Me either," he said. We got in the elevator, arrived on the third floor, and headed to my room. I unlocked the door and we went in.  
  
"Z!" I yelled, running and jumping on the bed she was still lying on. She slowly woke up and looked at me with tired eyes.  
  
"What the fuck do you want?" she asked.  
  
"Hector's here!" I screamed.  
  
"Wonder-fuckin-ful," she said, letting her head drop to the pillow again. I rolled my eyes and looked at Hector.   
  
"She's a little worn out. She just escaped from prison, ya know how that is," I explained.  
  
"Where's Dom and everybody?" Hector asked.  
  
"He and Vince took Leon to the hospital."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Oh, I shot him... yeah," I simply answered, nodding.  
  
"What he do to you?" Hector asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"Oh he told me to!" I quickly defended myself. "But we're gettin married," I said smiling. He looked at me, his expression fading to nothing.  
  
"Come again?!" he said, turning his head. Oh God... What had I done? Gone and opened my big mouth.... What was Hector gonna do to Leon?  
  
----------------  
  
Part 39  
  
"Leon and I are, uh, gettin married," she repeated. I couldn't see him, but I was sure that Hector was pissed and ready to tell her about it.  
  
"Hector, bro!" I said sternly. I turned my head to look at him, "You just got married, right? Why you wanna run your new wife all into our family problems right away? Give her a little adjustment time. Oh, by the way," I said to the girl standing beside him, "I'm Zoraida, the bitchy, overprotective older sister. Call me Z. Nice to meetcha." Then I rolled my head back to face the ceiling. I laid and arm over my eyes and fell asleep again, to the sounds of my siblings and their rivalry.  
  
"Z! Z! Z, wake up!" I heard someone hiss in my ear.  
  
"Go away," I groaned, turning onto my side. The person grabbed me and flipped me onto my back.  
  
"No, come on, get up," the voice repeated. I rolled onto my stomach and tried to ignore the sleep intruder.  
  
"No, come on, leave me the hell alone," I said as I became more irritated. The figure, which sounded male, flipped me onto my back again and sat across my hips, immobilizing any movement I'd thought about making. I kept an arm over my eyes as I used my other hand to reach behind me for a pillow. When I'd grabbed one, I placed it over my face and tried to go back to sleep.  
  
"Ahh, come on, be a sport," the man said as he took my wrists and placed them on the bed above my body. I sighed and continued trying to sleep. I felt hands on my sides as they made their way under my shirt.  
  
"What the fuck?" I asked, sitting up. The pillow fell to the floor as I came face to face with my archenemy, the one and only, Dominic Toretto.  
  
"Hey sleepin beauty," he chirpped. He leaned toward me and kissed me softly. I was shocked. When I didn't stop him, he kissed me again.  
  
The third time, I pushed him away. "What the hell are you doin?" I asked, holding him at arm's length. He put his hands on the sides of my head and stroked my hair softly.  
  
"You're so beautiful," he said slowly, staring straight into my eyes. His hands rested on the back of my neck and he tried to pull himself to me again.  
  
"Whoa!" I nearly yelled. I locked my arms in place and held him away. "Stop."  
  
"Oh, come on Z! Jesus Christ!"  
  
"What? Come on?! Dom, we just had a huge fucking blow out! I threatened to kill you! What the hell do you mean 'come on'?" I looked at him with my head tilted to the side. He didn't look anywhere but in my eyes.  
  
"Z, I know we've been havin a rough time lately-"  
  
"A rough time? No Dom, escaping from prison was a rough time. Finding out that Ron died while I was naked in front of him was a rough time. Fucking his son to get that damn car for my sister, that was a rough time! I don't think what we've had can be classified so much as a rough time, then as a fuckin nuclear war!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Dom only chuckled.  
  
"Well, ok then... Let me make it up to you," he said. My jaw dropped.  
  
"Have you been smokin with Vince again? Are you drunk?" I asked pointedly. He smiled and looked at me.  
  
"No, I haven't been drinkin or smokin or anything... Just thinkin. I've thought a lot tonight," he told me. I rolled my eyes and smiled.  
  
"Bet that must hurt, huh? Haven't been doin it much lately, have ya?" I asked, laughing softly. He laughed with me. I relaxed my arms and he pulled me closer to him.  
  
"Come on," he coaxed, moving his face to mine, "Just give me the chance to make it up to ya..." His lips brushed across mine as he spoke... What was I supposed to say to that? I opened my mouth to talk, but he laid his lips onto mine. I groaned because I knew what was coming next, and I knew I couldn't stop myself.  
  
I laid back slowly as Dom pulled my shirt over my head, "No bra," he whispered against my skin.  
  
"You're very observant," I noted, breathing awkwardly. My skin tickled as he moved himself off of my legs and onto the side of the bed so that he could continue kissing my stomach. I could feel my pulse quicken as he slid one hand into the waistline of my jeans. I could feel him travelling down, over my skin, past the elastic band of the cotton bikinis I'd been issued at the prison, under the cloth, reaching the most sensitive spot on my entire body.  
  
"Jesus Christ, Dom," I whispered at he felt around. I started taking quick, deep breaths to counteract the loss of oxygen, but I only became more and more lightheaded. He started kissing my neck and shoulders as he continued his manual labor. I draped my leg over both of his to allow him better access and my body started moving in synch with his hand. His lips continued moving around my upper body until I just couldn't take it anymore.   
  
I sat up and pulled him up with me. He moved his hand and I took his shirt off without warning, then pushed him back onto the bed. I pulled at the button and zipper on his pants and yanked them off just as quickly. His boxers and my pants were the only things in our way. I sat astride his hips and managed to get my pants off, then it was just us in our skivvies. I sat straight up on my knees and looked down at him.  
  
"I threatened to kill you, you know," I said, unsure of what was going to happen afterward if we went ahead and had sex.  
  
"I know," he said softly, "Kinda turned me on." He winked and smiled at me. I laughed and leaned down to kiss him. It was soft and sweet, and over way too soon.  
  
"So, are we really gonna do this?" I asked. I was sure he wanted to, but I didn't know how the situation would end up. He smiled and put his hands on my hips. I watched him nod. I could feel a smile run over my face and I laid on top of him. Sometime between my lying down and our actually having the best sex of our complicated relationship, I'd ended up on the bottom and we were both completely naked.  
  
"I've really been kicking myself lately," Dom told me as we lay together. He wrapped his arm tight around my waist. I pulled the sheet over our heads and turned to face him.  
  
"Why?" I asked.  
  
"Well, because you really mean a lot to me, but I've been this big asshole and I haven't been noticing." He kissed my nose, then my lips. I smiled as we kissed and I could feel him doing the same. I realized that we had to be alone, and wondered aloud what had happened to my sister and Leon.  
  
"They're hangin with Hector and La'Desta," he informed me, kissing me softly. I smiled, sighed, and laid back. I relaxed against the bed and was almost asleep when I felt Dom stand up.  
  
"Aww, where ya goin?" I asked sleepily. I opened one eye and caught a glimpse of him as he yanked his pants up.  
  
"I gotta get back to my room before anyone finds me in here," he said, leaning down to kiss me, "They might think you were makin good on your promise to kill me." I laughed and sat up so I could watch as he finished dressing.  
  
"We'll hafta try this again," I said sweetly. He agreed and kissed me once more, then he left. I laid back against the headboard. I sat there for a while, just reflecting about what had just happened.  
  
"Aright, I need a shower," I said to no one. I laughed at myself and jumped up, discarding the sheet as I quickly ran into the bathroom. I stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water. I moaned as the water soothed my muscles and cleaned the sweat from my body. I continued thinking about Dom and I and replayed the entire scene in my head over and over again.  
  
I stepped out humming a made-up tune, but I was rudely interrupted by the sound of a headboard banging against the wall of the next room. I knew that it was either Vince or Letty's and I laughed as I heard her screaming.  
  
"Well you go girl," I commented, laughing. "And go Vince." I found some clothes of my sister's and pulled them on, then climbed back into bed. It was nearly 10 AM, but I was worn out.  
  
"Z! Z! Z, wake the fuck up!" I heard Mercedes order. I laughed and opened my eyes.  
  
"What the hell do you want?" I asked, laughing. "I wanna sleep, leave me alone!"  
  
"No, come on, it's fuckin 7:30 already! Get up! We're all gonna go have dinner," she said. I reluctantly allowed her to pull me out of bed and help me find something else of hers to wear. We were ready to go by 8 and we met up with everyone else in the lobby.  
  
"Aright, we've got reservations for 8:30," Brian explained. Leon thanked him for making the plans, then we tried to decide who would ride together.  
  
"Well," Mia explained, "I've got it all figured out. Brian, Leon, Mercedes and I will all ride in the Hemi Cuda, Vince, Letty, Dom and Z, you guys can go in the other car, and Hector and La'Desta will take their car." She smiled triumphantly. Brian kissed her cheek and smiled at us all.  
  
"Sounds like a plan," I said, looking at Dom. He smiled quickly and asked Mia for the keys. "Yeah, give em here," I ordered after she'd given them to him. He sighed and handed them to me. We all piled into our cars and Hector led the way, followed by Mercedes and the gang, with the four of us coming in last. Letty and Dom sat in the back, and Vince was beside me. I turned the car on and stepped on the gas.  
  
Over an hour later, we were all finished with dinner and chatting over drinks. Brian was telling some really uninteresting cop joke, and Mercedes and Leon were whispering in one another's ears.  
  
"Jesus, get a room," Letty quipped as she playfully punched Leon's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, if you didn't already have one, I coulda told you that today!" Mercedes joked. Letty's face turned a little red, but she was over it quickly.  
  
"Hey, what can I say? Sometimes, ya just gotta get laid!" A raucous laughter erupted and everyone was a part of it, even me.  
  
"Yeah, I don't think I ever heard anyone scream that loud with Dom, girl," my sister said, laughing, "Not even Z!" I laughed along with everyone else, but I quickly realized what she said and did a double-take.  
  
"Wait, wait... With Dom?" I asked, looking in his direction with wide eyes.  
  
"Yeah," Mercedes said. I could tell she was more than a little drunk, because there was no light that clicked on... No realization.  
  
"Oh, how interesting," I growled, shooting another death stare at Dom. For the rest of the night, if I so much as looked his way, I felt the insatiable urge to vomit. Luckily for me, we left soon after. I chose to ride with my brother back to the hotel. The thought of being in the same room with Dom and Letty was enough to make me hurl, I didn't even want to think about driving them around.  
  
When we arrived, I thanked Hector and La'Desta, then I said goodnight to them both and started up the stairs to my room. I could hear feet pounding on the stairs behind me and I heard Dom's voice.  
  
"Z!" he cried. I ignored him and ran faster. He called out again, "Z, please!" I kept running. I stopped in front of my door and yanked the key out of the small back pocket of my pants and let myself in, then slammed the door as soon as he reached it. "Z!" he screamed, "Let me in!"  
  
"Fuck you Dom! Fuck you!" I screamed as loud as I could. I was insanely pissed, and even more jealous and hurt. I swore to myself that I wouldn't let him do it to me again. The bastard.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 40  
  
I woke up the next morning with a headache I knew all too well: the infamous hangover headache. I was lying at the foot of my bed with my arm hanging off the side. I felt something on my back and thought it was Leon. I raised my head and looked behind me to find Vince's head using my back as a pillow.  
  
"Get offa me ya goddamn ogor!" I growled, throwing him off.  
  
"Sorry, sorry," he mumbled. I sat up, rubbed my eyes and looked around the room. Z was sitting out on the balcony, Leon was on the other bed, Vince was now sitting up with his eyes closed, and Letty was on the floor.  
  
"Aright, everybody up!" I yelled, causing everyone to jump. "Who's got the hangover medicine?"  
  
"I got it," Vince said, digging in his pocket. He pulled out a beautifully wrapped joint.  
  
"Light it up," everyone in the room said at different times. He lit it and we passed it around for a while, then we got into a deep conversation started by Vince.  
  
"So if you're from America you're American, you're from Mexico you're Mexican, Africa you're African... but what if you're from Anarctica? Are you Anarctican?" he asked.  
  
"What about Sweden?" Letty asked.  
  
"That's easy," Vince said. "You're Swedian."  
  
"No Vince, you're Swedish," Z called from the balcony.  
  
"So then if you're from Anarctica you're Anarcticish?" Vince asked. We all sat for a moment, thinking about it. It was quite mind-boggling. I grabbed what was left of our joint and went out on the balcony.  
  
"You're missin out," I said, sitting next to Z.  
  
"S'okay," she said. "I don't care."  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked. "What happened last night?"  
  
"Let's just say Dom got his last night," she replied.  
  
"Yeah from Letty," I laughed. Z looked at me. It took me a few minutes before finally figuring it all out.  
  
"He didn't," I said. Z smiled and nodded. I looked around, thinking where Dom could be. I jumped outta my chair and stormed through the hotel room, stepping over Letty and a bunch of beer bottles. I opened the door, shut it behind me, and looked down the hall. There was Dom heading toward the elevator.  
  
"Hey Dom!" I yelled as nice as possible. He stopped and turned around. I caught up with him.  
  
"How was your night last night, Dom?" I asked smiling.  
  
"Fine," he said.  
  
"D'ya have fun?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Yeah, I mean, I guess you would considering you fucked two different girls." He sighed heavily and his head dropped.  
  
"So you know," he said.  
  
"What the hell are you doin?" I asked, my voice low and lips barely moving.  
  
"I don't know," he answered, putting his hand on his head.  
  
"You don't know?" I asked. "Well you better figure it out. Better yet, don't talk to my sister again."  
  
"Why?" Dom asked. It almost seemed like he cared... he was a good actor.  
  
"Why?!" I stammered. I stepped up closer to him and the intense hatred between us was so thick, I almost fell back. "Because you're a disease... a plague. The only reason you're alive right now is because I didn't kill you." He rolled his eyes.  
  
"You couldn't kill me and you won't kill me. You won't because you know there's consequences," he said. "You don't have the balls."  
  
"That hurts my feelings," I said. "You know I'm capable of it and that's what scares you."  
  
"Nothing scares me," Dom said sternly.  
  
"Dear, sweet Dominic Toretto," I said, running my finger down his chest, stomach, and passed his belt buckle. I snatched his family jewels in my hand and twisted them. He howled in pain and his hand found the side of my face. He gripped my hair in his hand, but didn't pull it, which confused the hell outta me.  
  
"Keep your dick in your pants or I'll cut an inch outta the middle," I warned, still holding tight and still twisting. His face was red and his eyes were watering. His whole body was shaking from the pain and I was loving every minute of it. I slowly let him go and he quickly fell to his knees, holding himself.  
  
"Think I'm scarred for life," he said. I raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Good," I said. He looked up and a single tear rolled down his cheek.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked. My face softened from the hard, evil look I had plastered on Dom. Who had I become? I'd become my sister, something I never thought possible.  
  
"I'm sorry," I said very quietly. I didn't want him to hear me, but he did. "But all this is your fault," I said through clenched teeth and pointing at him.  
  
"How do you figure?" Dom asked, still holding himself and now rocking back and forth. The tear that was now on his chin was really aggravating me. I quickly wiped it away and resumed my standing position.  
  
"You came here and ruined our lives. You got with my sister, then threw her away. She's not a knock down, drag it out, lick it up, do it again kinda girl, ok?" I was now yelling and I couldn't help it. "And I won't stand to see her hurt anymore. I'm getting married," I stammered, pointing to myself and for the first time noticing my hand was shaking. "And I refuse to worry about you for the rest of my life."  
  
"You won't have to worry about me the rest of your life. You're marrying Leon, not me," he said. I smiled at his incredible stupidity.  
  
"Everywhere we go, everything we do, you'll be right there."  
  
"Says who?"  
  
"Me. You don't have anyone, Dominic," I said. I was finally saying what was on my mind. I'd wanted to this to him ever since the first time he hurt Z.  
  
"What're you talkin about? I got Mia."  
  
"Who has Brian."  
  
"Letty."  
  
"Not anymore," I said, shaking my head. "She knows about you and Z." Dom's breathing quickened.  
  
"I have Vince," he said. I smiled.  
  
"You do. Hold on to him, he's all you've got." And with that, I headed back to my room. My head was pounding from the pot I'd just smoked, from yelling at Dom, from all the shaking I went through. I was physically and mentally exhausted... I needed some sun and, of course, I didn't have a bathing suit. I grabbed Leon's wife beater and I was already wearing shorts, so I headed out the door. I stopped and turned around to look at everyone in the room. Z had fallen asleep on a chair out on the balcony, Vince had passed out and was hanging off the side of the bed, Letty was asleep on the floor again, and Leon was lying on the other bed... he'd never moved. I smiled in his direction. I stepped over Letty and sat on the bed next to him. I ran my fingers through his soft hair causing him to stir a bit. He slowly opened his eyes, found mine, and smiled.  
  
"What're you doin?" he asked roughly.  
  
"Staring," I answered. Leon chuckled and nodded as he slowly sat up, his leg was still causing him some problems. I felt terrible about that leg, but I kept telling myself that he told me to do it. "Come with me," I said.  
  
"Where?" Leon asked.  
  
"To the pool." He nodded and very slowly put his legs over the side of the bed. The doctor told him to use his crutches, but Leon refused to. He could walk, but he had a slight limp. It didn't bother me helping him out the door. We started down the hall to the elevator to find Dom in the same position I'd left him in. I was gonna tell Leon we should take the stairs, but then I remembered his leg. I rolled my eyes as we walked toward Dominic.  
  
"Dom, what're you doin?" Leon asked. Dom looked up and I knew he'd been crying. I wanted to say something so bad, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was becoming Mercedes Moreno again, I was becoming me... not Zoraida.  
  
"You got a great girl, Leon," Dom said, blinking slowly as if he hadn't slept in days, which he probably hadn't. "Don't you let her go." I didn't let Leon answer as I pulled him into the elevator.  
  
"What was that all about?" he asked.  
  
"Don't know," I lied. "But who cares?"   
  
We arrived in the lobby and headed for the pool. We were lucky enough to be the only ones there. We claimed two lounge chairs right on the side of the pool and sat down. Leon pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his shirt pocket before discarding the shirt. He was a god, my god.  
  
"I can't wait to marry you," I said, looking at him. He smiled and turned his head toward me.  
  
"Me either," he said sweetly. We shared a light kiss and I laid back on my lounge chair. "Mercedes, there's a uh... there's a slight problem," he stumbled over his words. I looked at him. 'This can't be good' I thought to myself.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"There's a slight poblem with... cash flow." He looked at me. "I can't give you a big wedding." I smiled.  
  
"I don't need a big wedding, as long as I marry you, it doesn't matter," I told him. He put his legs on the side of the chair and sat up, then took his sunglasses off to look me in the eyes.  
  
"I'm tryin to give you everything I can, but... I don't have anything."  
  
"Oh yes you do," I reassured him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You got the love," I said. He just looked at me as if he didn't believe what I was saying. I leaned in closer to him. "And you're kinda cute," I said, brushing my finger under his chin. He laughed quietly and looked down. "Now don't you go worryin about not havin any money. We'll figure somethin out." After that, we laid in silence for a while just enjoying the sun and the water.  
  
"Let's swim," I said, sitting up.  
  
"Swim in what?" Leon asked. I smiled.  
  
"Our clothes, come on!" I threw my sunglasses of, took Leon's off his head, and tossed them on the chair with mine. I pulled him up and knowing he had to take the stairs into the pool, I dove right in. When I surfaced Leon was already in. I swam to him and put my arms around his neck and legs around his waist. I kissed him roughly then hugged him. I placed my chin on his shoulder next to his neck and closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. His tightened his grip around my waist and pulled me closer. He began spinning in the water as fast as he could and I laughed. Despite his leg, which must have hurt, he made me laugh. I pulled my head back and pressed my forehead to his.  
  
"I'm sorry I shot you," I said. He chuckled.  
  
"I'm sorry you shot me too," he said nodding. I laughed and kissed him. I suddenly pulled away from him, but left my legs wrapped around him.  
  
I put my arms in the air and screamed, "I love you!"   
  
"I love you too baby," Leon said, only nowhere near as loud as me.  
  
"We're gettin married," I said, putting my arms around his neck again.  
  
"Yes we are," he replied. 


	9. Parts 41 - 45

Part 41  
  
"I love you!" someone screamed, rudely waking me. I looked up from my chair to see that I was still on the balcony and that my sister and her finacee were frolicking in the pool. They were mighty close, and I could see that they were talking. Knowing I wouldn't be getting back to sleep soon, I decided to join them. I went to Hector's room and borrowed a wifebeater from him and a pair of shorts from La'Desta, thanked them, changed in their bathroom quickly, then went about myself. When I got closer to the pool, I could hear Mercedes talking.  
  
"Baby, I told you, don't worry about it, we'll get money," she said, exasperated. I could hear Leon grumble something, then the undeniable sound of kissing filled the air. I thought for a moment and decided to leave them alone.  
  
I slunk into our room and flopped down on the bed. "Why didn't he just talk to me?" I asked to no one in particular. I was worried about my sister. Of course, I didn't want her to get married, but if Leon was worried about not having enough money...  
  
"What are you goin on about now?" Vince asked rudely. He sat up and peered at me through eyes that I'm sure were clouded. I shook my head and waved my hand, signaling for him to just go back to sleep. He shrugged and laid his head down. He was out.  
  
I couldn't stay in the room much longer, because Letty and Vince were both there. Vince made me feel a little uncomfortable, and I didn't want to be around Letty for obvious reasons. I walked over her to exit, and out of pure spite, stepped on her hand. I heard her groan in her sleep and smiled to myself.  
  
I wandered around the hallway, having no exact destination. Mercedes and Leon were still by the pool, laughing and having a great time. I was worried about them getting married so soon, but I saw how happy they seemed to be.  
  
I found myself in front of Hector's room. I knocked and was promptly admitted. Unfortunately, Hector and his misses weren't the only inhabitants of the room. I looked around to see Brian, Mia, and Dom. "Jesus," I hissed under my breath. "Hector, can I talk to you?" Dom looked like he was ready to say something to me, but I pulled my brother out of the room before he had the chance.  
  
"What's up, 'mana?" he asked happily. I took him around the building and pointed to Leon and Mercedes, all snuggled up together in the pool.  
  
"Mira," I said quickly. He looked their way and let out a low whistle.  
  
"He better get his broke-ass, white behind out that pool and off my baby sister," Hector started. As he stomped toward the stairs, I could tell that his temper was flaring, and knew that he would be on his way to beat Leon's ass if I didn't intervene.  
  
"Hector, stop!" I grabbed his arm and tried to spin him around to face me. "What are you doin?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.  
  
"I'm gonna bust his ass," he replied very simply. I huffed.  
  
"No, you're not. Listen to me." He'd already stopped listening and was storming again toward Leon and Mercedes. I called in my most motherly voice, the same one he and Mercedes had heard many, many times. "Hector..." He stopped mid-stride, and I could almost see the little hairs on the back of his neck, standing straight up.  
  
"Okay, okay!" he said in defeat. I was satisfied as he walked back to Dom's room with me, and we talked about ways to raise money for Leon.  
  
"How did you know?" I asked as we approached the door.  
  
"Leon's always broke," he answered simply. I chuckled a bit, and we walked in. Luckily, there was only one person in the room. Conversely, it was Dom.  
  
"Hey Dom," I said softly, moving past him to take a seat by the bed. Hector looked at me, and I knew he'd been struck with inspiration.  
  
"What's up, man? I don't like that look," Dom said slowly, cautiously. Hector rubbed his head, then chuckled as he looked at Dom again. I could see the color drain completely from his face as my brother asked a simple question.  
  
"How much do you love racing?"  
  
"What's going on?" Dom asked pensively. I watched with a silent awe as Hector explained to Dom about the financial situation of their friend.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 42  
  
After swimming, Leon and I were tired and we immediately changed our clothes; I wore Leon's white button-down shirt and he was just in his boxers, which didn't bother me. I fell asleep with Leon's arms wrapped tightly around me and him whispering sweet nothings in my ear: everything from how much he loved me to how good my hair smelled.  
  
When I awoke later that night, I was alone in the bed. The covers were wrapped all around me, but I was still alone and it didn't feel right to be without Leon. I looked up at the balcony and saw him leaned over on the fence on his elbows. He was wearing his pants, which obviously had to be dry or close to it by now. I smiled, got out of bed, and crept up behind him. I put my hands on his bare back and he spun around. When he saw me he relaxed and smiled.  
  
"You scared me," he said, taking my hands.  
  
"That was the general idea," I joked.  
  
"My scandolous girlfriend, " he chanted before kissing me tenderly.  
  
"You figured me out," I told him. He smiled and nodded. "So whatcha lookin at?" I asked, turning in the direction he'd been looking.  
  
"The stars," he replied, stepping behind me and putting his arms around my waist.  
  
"They are beautiful aren't they?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, but I know something more beautiful." I smiled and laid my head against his chest.  
  
"Oh yeah, what?" I laughed. He took my hands, intertwined our fingers, and pointed them toward the parking lot.  
  
"That hot chick down there," he answered. I looked down to see a very large woman getting into her car. I giggled.  
  
"You so nasty," I said.  
  
"Mmm hmm," he growled in my ear.  
  
"Hit me baby one more time!" we heard someone sing from below us. We looked down to see Vince standing in the middle of the parking lot.  
  
"Vince?!" I squealed. He obviously was drunk, he had a beer bottle in his hand.  
  
"Vince, what're you doin?" Leon laughed. Vince spun around for a few seconds, trying to find Leon and I. And when he finally did, he waved.  
  
"How'd you guys get way up there?" he slurred. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Get to your room," I demanded.  
  
"I will not be pardoned, thank you very much," he declined.  
  
"Talk to him," I told Leon, heading back into our room.  
  
"V, get inside," Leon yelled. "Before you run into a parked car or somethin." I laughed as I fell back on the bed. After a few more minutes of arguing between Leon and Vince, the neigbors all around us began yelling for silence.  
  
"It's impossible," Leon said. I sat up and smiled at the sight before me: Leon, in only his jeans, hunched over the balcony fence.  
  
"Looks good from here," I said. He slowly turned around and set his arms on the fence beside him. He was somethin else. The tattoos on his tan chest and shoulders, the damp jeans he wore, the wallet chain that always turned me on, and his gorgeous brown hair, which had been lightened by the Mexico sun.  
  
"Are you lookin at my ass?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"I sure am," I replied. "You got a cute ass."  
  
"I have a cute ass!" Vince yelled from the parking lot. I got up and went out to the balcony once again.  
  
"No Vince, I could park a car in the shadow of your ass," I said.  
  
"Hey!" he yelled in his own defense. He tried to walk, but he kept stumbling and tripping on his own feet.  
  
"I swear, it's like watching Bambi learn how to walk," I said to Leon. I looked at him and he laughed. I took his hands and, walking backward, led him into the room.  
  
"Come on, sweetcheeks," I said. He chuckled.  
  
"Don't call me that," he said.  
  
"Can I call ya sex-machine?" I asked.  
  
"Only if you have proof," he agreed. I thought about it for a second.  
  
"Nah," I declined. "I'll have proof tomorrow night."  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at me.  
  
"I don't feel like it right now," I said. "Let's watch movies."  
  
"Movies?" he asked. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Yeah... why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"I dunno, it's just... you got me hot right now," he said, putting his arms around me and kissing my neck.  
  
"No, come on Leon, not tonight," I said, pushing him away. He sighed loudly and threw his arms in the air. "What is your problem?" I asked. I was beginning to yell.  
  
"You're hot one minute, cold the next. You're so fickle," he said.  
  
"There's a big word," I said, rolling my eyes. This obviously made Leon mad. He slammed his fists on the T.V. then paced around the room, glaring   
at me.  
  
"What is your fuckin problem Leon?" I yelled.  
  
"You!" he screamed, pointing at me with his finger centimeters from my face. My teeth grinded involuntarily and my fists balled.  
  
"In the time that I've known you, you have never raised your voice to me like this and if you do it again, I swear to God," I said before turning and heading for the door. Leon grabbed my arm and spun me around, giving me even more power when I slapped him. When we both realized what I'd done, we stared at each other.  
  
"If you ever even think about putting your hands on me like that again..." I said, shaking and tears rolling down my cheeks. I was so mad I couldn't finish my threat. "Do you hear me?" I asked.  
  
"I hear you," he said softly, holding his cheek. He was at my mercy and I hated it. I only liked it when it was Dom at my mercy.  
  
"I'm leaving and don't you follow me," I warned, again heading for the door and this time making it out. I headed straight for Hector's room and knocked on the door. When he answered and saw me crying he quickly let me in.  
  
"Where's La'Desta?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"Nevermind," he said. "What's wrong?"  
  
"It's Leon," I cried and forgetting who I was talking to.  
  
"Motherfucker!" he yelled with rage in his eyes. He stormed out of his room, across the hall, and pounded on Leon's door.  
  
"Hector!" I called after him, but it was too late.  
  
"Hey Hector," Leon answered, unaware of Hector's blind rage. Without a word, Hector planted a left hook across Leon's right cheek. He'd taught me that move because he and I were both left handed. He climbed on top of Leon who was now on the floor and laid him down punch after punch. Not knowing what else to do, I pounded on Dom's door then Brian's, waking them both. When they came out, Dom grabbed Hector and Brian took Leon. It took some time, but they were finally seperated.  
  
"What's your problem?" Leon yelled, fighting Brian.  
  
"Mercedes came to my room crying because of you cocksmoker!" Hector screamed.  
  
"Get off it!" Dom yelled, pulling Hector toward the door. Dom looked at me and shook his head as if to say 'sorry about your brother'. I looked at Leon.  
  
"You're dead you faggot!" Hector screamed from the hall.  
  
"Are you ok?" Leon asked me.  
  
"I'm fine," I replied. "You?"  
  
"Fine," he slurred. "I'm right as the mail."  
  
"You lucky it wasn't me poundin you," Z said after she magically appeared next to me.  
  
"What happened?" Letty asked from the door, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"That fucker right there..." Z started.  
  
"Zoraida," I said, calmly telling her to shut her mouth.  
  
"Ok, who stole my beer?" Vince asked, pushing Letty out the way and entering the room.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 43  
  
"Everybody, out!" screamed Mercedes. Every person began filing out and the room was cleared within a minute, save for Leon and my sister. I grabbed the collar of Hector's shirt and held him in his place.  
  
"Listen," I said softly with my index finger in his face, "Mexico just isn't workin for us, we're goin to California, and we're staying with you, and you're gonna like it, got me?" He huffed and nodded, then smiled a bit. "What's so funny?" I asked, my hands on my hips.  
  
"You're such a fuckin bitch sometimes, you know that?" he said, snickering.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but that's why you love me," I told him, putting my arm around his neck. "Now go pack up your shit and let's get goin."  
  
He trotted off without another word, and soon I was at the door of Mia and Brian's room. I informed them of our voyage and they began packing. I then ventured to Dom's room, which held Letty and Vince as well as my arch nemesis, Dominic. Eventually, they were all ready to go, so we paid a visit to my sister. Apparently, she'd heard about my decision to move the entire crew back to California and was ready to go.  
  
"When do we leave?" she asked. Luckily, she had calmed down, and Leon was recovering from his fight with Hector.  
  
Within an hour, we were totally packed and ready to roll. We'd consolodated our finances and found that in all, we had over a thousand dollars. "Aright then, let's go!" I ordered. Leon, Mercedes and I all piled into the Viper, Hector, La'Desta, Mia and Brian were in Hector's car, and the rest of the gang hooked themselves up with Mercedes' Hemi Cuda. We took off toward the border, Hector's house, and hopefully, a new beginning.  
  
After hours of driving, the Viper's three occupants, my sister, her finacee and myself, were completely silent. Not one word had been spoken. Leon and Mercedes were still mad at each other after their fight, and I wasn't about to get in the middle of it. Suddenly, breaking my train of thought, the radio came on and blasted, but then was abruptly turned off. It came on, then went off. On and off. For a good five minutes this continued, and I was able to see that Mercedes was the one turning the radio on, but Leon, who was driving, was observing the age old rule: Whoever's driving picks the music. He decided that he wasn't in the mood for music, and everytime she turned the radio on, he'd turn it off.  
  
"Fuck you, leave it fuckin on!" she yelled. He began screaming about how it was his fuckin car and how it was up to him what we listened to.  
  
"Ex-cuse me?" I asked, sticking my head between the front seats. "Your car my ass. Motherfucker, do you know how much trouble I went through for this fuckin car? You know what? Fuck you, you don't even know what the fuck you're talkin about. Pull this goddamn car over, I'll show you who's fuckin car it is!"  
  
"You know what, I've had enough of you, so why don't you just shut your fuckin face?" he asked, turning his head around to face me.  
  
"Oh hell no!" I began to try to climb into the front seat.  
  
"Enough!" Mercedes screamed. "Leon, quit bein a dick, I'm listenin to my damn radio and that's all there is to it. Z, sit the fuck down, and everybody shut the hell up!" With that said, I sat back, Leon shut his mouth, and Mercedes cranked the radio.  
  
"You know what, I changed my mind," Leon said roughly a few minutes later. He flipped the switch and turned off the radio again. "I like the radio off when I drive." The meanness with which he said it was enough to flare the tempers of both my sister and I.  
  
"What? You like the radio off when you drive? Leon, why is it always about you? Huh? Why? Why's everything always about you? It's gotta be your way, the way you want it. Why is that, Leon?" she asked quickly, but harshly.  
  
"Always my way?" Leon asked in disbelief. "What the fuck are you on? Who slapped who?"  
  
Feeling like an instigator, I corrected, "Who slapped whom?"  
  
"Shut up!" was the reply of both of the other people in the car. I smiled to myself, and looked contently out the window.  
  
"Like I said, you slapped me, so fuck you," Leon said simply but ferociously.  
  
"Fuck me? No, Leon, fuck you!" Mercedes said sarcastically, flipping on the radio again.  
  
Leon turned it off once more, then snarled, "One more word out of either of you, and I swear to God I'll smash this fucking car into a big rock." He added that there was to be no radio, and no talking, at least until we reached the border. I couldn't help but notice that Dom was behind us, and was approaching rather quickly. Leon noticed, too, and sped up.  
  
We were cruising at a nice, happy pace of 130 miles per hour, when Mercedes said, "I dunno why you're such a fuckin baby all the time."  
  
"You shot me," he replied.  
  
"Oh would you get over that already? It was a while ago and you told me to!"  
  
"Yeah!" I chimed in.  
  
"Ok, fine, one more fuckin word outta either of ya, and I swear to God, I'll fuckin crash! I'll run this fucker off the damn road right now. Not one more goddamn word!" he turned around in his seat to direct his statement toward me. I put my hands up in mock surrender and chilled while Leon sped down the dirt road.  
  
After another hour or so of silence, Mercedes was over Leon. "Vaffunculo," she said, flipping him off. His head whipped to the side, and I could tell that he was livid.  
  
Within a matter of moments, we'd gone from cruising comfortably to completely out of control. The speedometer was nearing 160, and I was being pushed back into my seat by the G force. Leon whipped the car sharply from side to side, and I was involuntarily screaming, as was my sister.  
  
"Leon, you crazy fucker! Stop!" she screamed. I was screaming similar things as we headed straight for one of the massive boulders. He was screaming at her, she was screamin at him, and I was just screaming.  
  
Suddenly, the car stopped. Mercedes was beating Leon with all her might, then she flung herself out of the car. "Fuck you, Leon! Fuck you!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Leon climbed out of his door, and leaned against the hood. I watched as my baby sister paced around, kicking things and screaming, while Leon hung out, rubbing his face.  
  
My phone rang. "What?" I asked, irritated by Leon.  
  
"Lemme talk to Leon," Dom's voice came over my phone.  
  
"He's busy," I explained, my voice full of attitude.  
  
"Hey, lose the lip and give him the damn phone," Dom demanded.  
  
"Fuck you, man," I said, hanging up. I turned off the phone and threw it on the seat beside me. My breathing was finally back to normal as Leon decided to drag his sorry self back into the car. Soon, Mercedes followed suit. Dom had since sped past us, roaring into the desert, but he was making his way back now. The red Hemi Cuda was just visible on the horizon, but he was runnin right along, and was next to us in a flash.  
  
"So you were goin kinda fast there, are we racin?" Dom asked Leon. Leon nodded and strapped on his seatbelt.  
  
"Buckle up," he informed us. Mercedes was less than excited about racing, but she was now aware of what could happen with Leon behind the wheel, and scrambled to hook her seatbelt as he took off at full throttle.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 44  
  
"You really are crazy," I said, looking at Leon. He glanced at me then turned his attention back to the road.  
  
"Don't talk to me," he said. I laughed quietly. I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen this side of him before. He was being such an asshole and it all started just because I wouldn't have sex with him at the exact time he wanted to.  
  
He knew for a fact that I didn't like driving fast and I sure as hell didn't like being a passenger when the driver was going over 100 miles per hour. The speed increased and I looked out the window to see Dom driving right next to us, Hector was a little behind him, and Brian was beginning to catch up. I looked back at Leon and he was determined to either win this race or make me murder him.  
  
"Why are you doing this?!" I finally yelled. "Are you insane?!"  
  
"I told you not to talk to me," he growled, his eyes looking my way, but not his head.  
  
"You know, I have had enough of your shit!" Z yelled from the backseat.  
  
"Didn't I say if you talked I would crash this fuckin car?!" Leon yelled.  
  
"You crash this car and you're payin for it," Z said.  
  
"Oh, you mean like you paid for it?" he asked. I closed my eyes, my teeth grinded, and I shook my head. He'd done it now.  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked. Leon thought about it for a minute. I knew he was debating whether or not to say what was on his mind or keep it to himself.  
  
"Nothin," he said. I sighed. He'd made the right choice for once.  
  
I looked forward and saw the biggest damn road block I'd ever seen. And it was only in the lane we were in. Dom, Hector, and Brian showed no signs of stopping or slowing down and neither did Leon.  
  
"You're slowing down right?" I inquired. No answer. "You do see that road block?" He only went faster.  
  
"Stop the fuckin car!" Z yelled, pounding his seat. His foot only pressed harder on the gas pedal.  
  
"Leon, stop the car," I insisted, a little softer and hoping that would help calm him down. But I had no such a luck; his foot wouldn't budge. "Leon," I said again, this time more demanding. "Stop the car." Nothing. "Stop the goddamn car!" I screamed, punching his arm. The force from my fist knocked his arm to the left, which spun the steering wheel to the left. The car skid against the wall and Leon tried frantically to recover.  
  
"Holy shit," he breathed, sounding scared. He tried over and over to recover the out of control car, but he just made it worse. The Viper went into a fast spin. I could hear the squealing of the tires and saw the smoke they were producing. We were heading straight for the road block.  
  
"Oh my God," Leon said, his eyes big. "We're gonna hit that." By this time, I was crying with one hand on the door handle and the other gripping the arm rest. I'm not too sure what Z was doing, she was quiet and I was too scared to even turn around. Suddenly, I felt something on my seat belt. I looked down and Leon was unbuckling it.  
  
"What're you doing?!" I cried. He didn't answer as he threw the seat belt off me and grabbed my shoulders, pulling my upper body down. Z's head soon followed and was next to mine, then I felt Leon's arm around me and his forehead on my shoulder. My hand gripped his shirt and held him closer to me. I didn't care what he'd done to me or what I'd done to him; nothing mattered at the moment.  
  
"It's gonna be ok," he whispered in my ear. "Everything's gonna be fine." I wanted to believe him, but somehow I just couldn't. I knew we were gonna die and I also knew it was all my fault. If I hadn't hit Leon, he wouldn't have lost control.  
  
The crash finally happened. We slammed into the road block at what must have been 130mph. I was knocked forward, but Leon held tight and wasn't letting me or Zoraida go anywhere. When we were still and silent, I took it upon myself to look up to see what the car looked like. The roof was fine, but the steering wheel, the dashboard, everything in front was crushed together and a lot closer than it should have been. Leon looked up and our eyes met. I immediately broke the stare and looked at Z who was entirely too scared to even move.  
  
I kicked open my door and slowly got out followed by Leon because his door was smashed in. As I looked at the car, I cried and cried. I loved that car and now it was totaled and it was my fault. When Leon crawled out, we looked at each other and I began crying even harder.  
  
"I'm sorry," I cried. "I am so sorry."  
  
"It's alright," he said, softly and taking me into his arms. "It's not your fault." He laid my head against his chest and I knew at that moment that I was safe. I knew he would never let anything happen to me.  
  
"I love you Leon," I said, looking up at him. He smiled.  
  
"I love you too." We kissed softly and continued hugging. I would never forget that day.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 45  
  
"A little help!" I cried from the mangled car. My sister and her man were so busy making up that they forgot that I was still stuck in the busted wreck.  
  
"Shit!" Mercedes said, chuckling as she realized that she'd forgotten all about me. She held the crunched door open while Leon pried me from the wreckage.  
  
"Thanks," I said, half sarcastically. I caught my breath and checked myself for major injuries. When I knew that I was good, I asked, "Are you guys okay?" They both nodded, and I heard the shrill sound of tires slamming to a screeching halt. I whipped around to see Dom jump out of the driver's seat of a still-moving car, and watched as Letty jumped quickly into the unoccupied position to take control.  
  
She slammed her fist against the steering wheel and I could see her staring daggers into Dom's back as he wrapped his arms protectively around me. "My God, Zoraida, are you okay?" he asked, his hands on either side of my head, running his thumbs over my lips. I nodded, and watched in awe as he let out a relieved sigh and shook so violently that he fell to the ground, taking me with him. My hands were on his braced arms as they held their position of being clamped around my head.  
  
"I love you, so much," he choked. I was stunned. The words hit me like a ton of bricks. No, a ton of lead. I was absolutely dumbstruck. That one moment outshone every fight, every kiss, every other word. I knew at that very moment that he was the one. My soul mate. My bald Leon. In an instant, I was changed. I pushed myself roughly against him, kissed his lips. We sat tangled in each other for a while, our lips pressed together. In the minutes that followed, every unspoken apology, every unanswered question, every stolen glance, everything was right. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, breaking our bond, interrupting the moment. His forehead leaned against mine, and I could feel his erratic breaths as they slowed.  
  
"Yeah," I said, smiling, "I'm fine."  
  
"Oh yeah, by the way, I'm good too, baby!" Leon chirpped in a mocking version of my voice.  
  
"Hey, shut up over there, jackass!" Dom resounded jokingly. He jumped up and helped me to my feet, and I could see that Letty's glare ws still fixed solely upon Dominic. Even from afar, I could see the jealousy and I could almost feel the immense hatred that radiated from her pupils. I turned to my sister, Leon, and Dominic.  
  
"Well, what do we do now?" I asked. Hector was nowhere to be found, nor was Brian, and there was no way that the rest of us were gonna fit into that little red Hemi Cuda. Dom reached into his pocket and produced a small cell phone. I looked at my sister and rolled my eyes as he called Hector.  
  
Soon, we were on the road again, headed toward LA. Hector had returned and had brought Brian and Mia along. For safety's sake, Dom and I rode with Hector and La'Desta, while Mercedes and Leon caught up with Brian and Mia. This way, we could be sure that Hector's fury wouldn't be unleashed upon Leon, and Brian was safe from Dom's temper.  
  
Within the day, we'd crossed the border. Thanks in part to my good standings with the guards, we had a rather expediant stop, and were soon in the good ole U.S. of A. The first place we sped toward was Hector's. I needed a shower like nobody's business, and because we'd had a hard day, I knew that Mercedes would probably want a nap.  
  
"So, Hector," I said as we pulled into his apartment complex, "how long does your water stay hot?"  
  
"Geez," he huffed, "not long enough, don't even get me started." I scoffed and twisted my face.  
  
"What?" Dom asked, smiling. I explained about my shower problem, and he laughed at me. I narrowed my eyes and he stopped, then told me that I needed to learn to take short showers. "I can be in and out in 2 minutes, tops."  
  
"Good to know, but do ya know that I actually have hair, so it takes me a little while longer." We exited the car as I was finishing, and I was so happy to finally be there. The four of us trekked upstairs to Hector's apartment, followed soon by the rest of the crew. Accompanied by Dom, I headed straight for the bathroom. I made him leave and told him to go with my sister to the store. It's not that I didn't want company, but I wanted clean clothes more. From the bathroom I could hear her objecting, but she eventually gave in when Hector pointed out that she was the only other person who knew what size I wore and what kind of clothes I liked. Leon had announced earlier that he was headed straight for a bed, and she really wanted to join him, but she changed her tune when she remembered that she didn't have any clothes, either.  
  
"Fine! I'll go!" she yelled. I smiled at myself in the mirror and hopped in the shower.  
  
After about ten minutes of warm, liquid bliss, my water ran cold. "Shit!" I squealed as the icy streams pelted my back. Luckily, I'd washed my hair and everything when I first got in, and had spent a considerable time just basking in luxurious warmth of the water. I jumped out, wrapped a towel around myself and raced into Hector's room. Unbeknownst to me, that's where Leon had chosen to sleep.  
  
I quickly doffed my towel and grabbed a pair of Hector's big, baggy jeans and a rather large t-shirt. I threw the pants on the bed, and they landed right on Leon's face. I yanked the shirt over my head and turned around to snatch up the jeans, which were being held out to me by a very awake, very embarrassed Leon.  
  
"Sorry," he muttered. I could only laugh. I apologized and explained that I didn't know he was in there and took myself back into the bathroom to finish dressing. Once I was fully dressed, I check to see if Leon was alright, which he was, then I went into the living room. I saw Hector and La'Desta lounging together in a chair, Letty and Mia were in the kitchen and Brian was on the long sofa, watching TV quietly. I noticed that Letty was trying to stay interested in whatever Mia was talking about, but her eyes kept coming back to mine.  
  
"Did Mercedes and Dom leave?" I asked, knowing the answer. They were the only ones unaccounted for, and I'd told Dom to go with her.  
  
"Yeah, Vince went with 'em," Brian chimed in. I nodded and went to sit next to him.  
  
"Wait a second..." I said, realized what I'd heard, "My sister went shopping... with Dom... and Vince?" Brian nodded. "Jesus H," I said, "Poor girl." 


	10. Parts 46 - 50

Part 46  
  
"Let's get a couple things straight," I said in the car on the way to the mall. "Don't touch the radio, don't touch the windows, don't annoy me. That's it."  
  
"Car rules," I heard Vince mutter from the backseat. "This is gonna be a fun ride."  
  
"Did I forget to mention not to talk?" I asked, looking at him through the rearview mirror.  
  
"Yeah, ya did," he said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the front seats. "But I don't qualify for these rules."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"Tell her Dom," he said, looking at Dom. Dom turned to him.  
  
"Will you sit back and shut up?!" he yelled, pushing Vince's forehead back, which was followed by the rest of his body. I looked at Dom who had returned his gaze out the window.  
  
"What's your problem?" I asked him.  
  
"I don't like shopping," he replied.  
  
"Well you will after today," I informed both of them.  
  
"Why you say that?" Dom asked, looking at me.  
  
"Because I am the shopping Queen. After shopping with me, you'll know what it means to spend money."  
  
"Speaking of money," Dom said. "How much do we have?"  
  
"I dunno, how much you got?" I asked him. He retrieved his wallet from his back pocket then counted his money.  
  
"Ah..... 120," he answered. I knew Vince had none so I lifted my hips and grabbed a wallet outta my back pocket. I looked at Dom and he was already looking at me.  
  
"What?" I squeaked.  
  
"Nothin," he said quickly, putting his hands up.  
  
"Why you lookin at me like that?"  
  
"I didn't know you carried a wallet," he said.  
  
"I don't." I opened the wallet and showed Dom the driver's license inside.  
  
"You took Leon's wallet?!" he exclaimed. I laughed.  
  
"Stealin cars isn't the only thing I'm good at," I told him. He laughed that low, rough laugh of his. I threw the wallet at him and told him to count the money.  
  
"Oh damn!" he said.  
  
"What?!" Vince and I asked at the same time.  
  
"He has like 200 dollars!"  
  
"Well..." I started. "Not for long." We drove for a little while with Dom giving me various directions as we went.  
  
"Hey, wanna hear a joke?" Vince asked, after a long period of silence.  
  
"No," Dom and I stammered. We looked at each other and shared a smile. Maybe we were getting closer... becoming friends. Suddenly, my seat fell back along with myself and the car swerved as I shot back up.  
  
"Vince! You dumbass!" Dom yelled before I could. I grabbed the latch on the side of the chair and my seat came back up. "You see that pole back there?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," Vince said after looking through the back window.  
  
"We almost crashed into that because of you," Dom finished.  
  
"No we didn't," Vince laughed.  
  
"Am I really here?" I asked no one in particular. "Stuck in this beautiful car with... the Moron Twins."  
  
"The Moron Twins," Dom said. "Has a nice ring to it."  
  
"Yeah!" Vince agreed. Dom turned to Vince and they shared a high-five.  
  
"Oh... my... God," I said, not sounding irritated... it was just plain.  
  
"Oh come on," Dom said. "We are cool." I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Morons, your bus is leaving," I said.  
  
We finally arrived at the mall seconds before I slapped both of them. We got out, I turned the car alarm on, and we headed inside. Dom was walking next to me and we purposely walked fast to keep Vince behind us. His breath was horrible and his clothes were dirty.  
  
"Guys! Wait up!" he called a few feet behind us. Dom and I looked at each other and smiled. I knew we were both thinking the same thing. We started running. We ran through the crowd trying to get inside the mall through the small doors. After a few yells at us we made it inside. We were laughing so hard, my stomach hurt and my eyes were filling with tears.  
  
"Oh my God," I laughed. We saw Vince fighting his way in then we looked at each other again. Dom grabbed my hand and we started running again.  
  
When we finally decided to stop acting like children, we found Vince and began our shopping spree with someone else's money. We discovered the men's section first because I knew how tough it was gonna be to find Vince an outfit.  
  
"Ok," I said. "What do you like?" Vince looked at me.  
  
"What I have on," he answered. I rolled my eyes and knew not to ask that question again. Quickly, I grabbed a white wife-beater and a pair of jeans.  
  
"These better fit or you are walking home," I warned. He reluctantly took the two items from me and headed into the dressing room. "Now," I began, looking at Dom. "What do you want?" He opened his mouth to answer. "Wait! Say no more!" I interrupted.  
  
"I didn't say anything," he said. I took his wrist and yanked him toward an outfit: black workman pants and a little ways down the aisle where I found Vince's wife-beater... I found a black one. "How plain," Dom said.  
  
"Look," I said. "I have to have at least one hour to find me an outfit and one hour to find my sister an outfit, which means I don't have time for you."  
  
"Fine, I'll take it," he agreed. He took the shirt and the pants and headed inside the dressing room as Vince came out. He was wearing the white tank top and the jeans. For being a grangly, grizzly guy, he looked good.  
  
"Well?" he asked, putting his arms out. I raised my eyebrows and smiled.  
  
"Not bad," I said. "Not bad. All you need to do is shave and you'll be good."  
  
"I don't shave," he declined. "It's not me." I thought about it for a minute and pictured him without that ever popular beard of his.  
  
"Yeah, you're right," I said. I turned around and headed for a chair because I knew Dom was gonna take his time just to annoy me.  
  
"Hey," I heard Vince say softly. I spun around to face him and he was standing right behind me.  
  
"Umm..." I said shakily. I didn't know what he was doing or what he thought he was about to do. "What?" My voice was so shaky, I'd never heard it that way before. His hand found my hair and stroked it softly. I swallowed hard; I had no idea what Vince was doing. His face came closer to mine and I quickly moved away... he'd just tried to kiss me.  
  
"Hey," I heard Dom say from behind Vince. Vince jumped and turned around and I looked at Dom. "Get dressed," he told Vince. Vince was obviously too nervous to say no, so he did as he was told and went back into the dressing room. Dom approached me.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, his voice was soothing not angry like I thought he was.  
  
"He tried to kiss me," I said quietly.  
  
"And why would he do that?" he inquired.  
  
"I don't fuckin know!" I squealed.  
  
"Calm down," he insisted, putting his large hands on my shoulders.  
  
"Dom, I don't want Leon..." I started.  
  
"I won't tell if you won't," he interrupted. I looked in his eyes and he appeared to be telling the truth. The sincerity in his voice made me a believer. I hugged him quickly before Vince came out of the dressing room.  
  
"So you look sexy," I told Dom. He laughed and nodded.  
  
"I know," he joked. He changed and I gave them money to pay for their clothes so I could start shopping for my sister and I.  
  
I found the skirts and tank tops and I was in heaven. Mexico never had these kinds of clothes: street slut clothes, that is. There were so many outfits I wanted I was about to buy all of them for me and tell my sister to wear whatever she could find. But if I did that, I probably would have been murdered.  
  
I looked for myself first. I sort of left the skirts and bikini tops for something new. I'd always dressed like a hoe because I wanted a boyfriend and I thought that was how to get one, but it wasn't. And now, I had a fiance, so I had to dress differently. I had no idea leather pants could be so sexy. I grabbed a pair of black leather pants that cris-crossed and tied at the hips, then a sleeveless top that also cris-crossed and tied between my breasts.  
  
"Now that is hot," I heard someone say from behind me. I jumped, spun around, and almost ran into Dom.  
  
"Just wait til I put it on," I said, smiling. He laughed. "Where's Vince?" I asked. I didn't really care, I was just making conversation.  
  
"In the car," he answered. "He feels bad."  
  
"I don't care," I said quickly, turning around to the clothes rack and looking for something for my sister.  
  
"You should talk to him," he continued.  
  
"When did you become Oprah?" I asked, turning to him. He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Don't call me that," he said in his 'warning tone'.  
  
"Then don't tell me what to do," I said. His head fell back as I began to walk passed him. He thrust his large arm in front of me and grabbed the clothes rack next to me, stopping me from going anywhere. I looked up at him.  
  
"Don't do that," he warned, his voice low and rumbling. It sounded like thunder in a late night thunderstorm that, before that moment, I thought was comforting.  
  
"And who are you? My daddy?" I asked.  
  
"No and thank God for that," he sighed. My jaw dropped and I stared at him for a few seconds.  
  
"That wasn't very nice," I finally said. He smiled and put his arm around me.  
  
"I know," he said. "I'm sorry. Why don't you go try on that outfit, I'll find Z somethin, then you can talk to Vince."  
  
"I'm not talkin to him," I protested as I headed inside the dressing room.  
  
"Yes you are," Dom said.  
  
"No I'm not," I argued.  
  
"Yes you are."  
  
"No I'm not!" I stammered then I slammed the door shut. I changed into the outfit and looked at my reflection in the mirror.  
  
"Damn..." I said to myself. I never knew exactly how good I looked in pants because I hated them. I always preferred skirts to pants, but my mind was changing rapidly. I walked out of the dressing room into Dom's view.  
  
"Damn..." he said, just like I had seconds before. I smiled. "Leon's gonna be gettin in a lotta fights."  
  
"Why?" I asked.  
  
"Cuz I'm bout to take you," he laughed. I joined him in laughter because we both knew he was joking. I knew that he and I could joke like that now, but I really couldn't believe that 'Dom' and 'friend' and 'me' would ever be used in the same sentence.  
  
I quickly changed, found my sister an outfit, then we finally left. Vince remained quiet in the backseat just like I'd hoped he would, but Dom and I carried on a conversation about various things: me and Leon's wedding, he and Z's relationship, if Hector would ever get over our marriage... then, it came to me.  
  
"Oh my God!" I squeaked.  
  
"What? What is it?!" Dom asked.  
  
"My sister's birthday," I said. "It's next week."  
  
"Really? Wow..." he said.  
  
"I don't know what I'm gonna do."  
  
"Take her to a strip club," Vince chimed in. His words were slurred and made him sound like he was drunk, but he wasn't. He hadn't had a beer all day as a matter of fact. My eyebrow arched and my head cocked to the side.  
  
"Come on V," Dom said.  
  
"Not a bad idea," I said.  
  
"What?!" Dom squeaked. I looked at him.  
  
"My sister and I like to have fun. We've been to strip clubs before," I explained.  
  
"Then it's a plan," Vince said.  
  
"It's a plan," I replied, looking at him through the rearview.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 47  
  
There was a knock at the door, and I half-expected to see Mercedes there, her arms full of bags. I opened it, because I was closest, and was nearly knocked over by an extremely animated black man.  
  
"Hector!" he called throatily, to which my brother responded by bounding from his room to hug the man.  
  
"Whoa!" I yelled as I stepped out of the way. Leon was soon joining them. He'd decided to hook himself up on the couch after the earlier, embarrassing incident. He jumped in the small group of hugging and shaking hands. Just then, I saw La'Desta come running from the bedroom that she now shared with Hector.  
  
"Desta!" the man rumbled with his gravely voice. She shreiked something as she ran to him, then jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist. He hugged her and her legs fell limp. "Where ya'll been?" he asked. Brian stood up and walked uneasily to the door, wiping his palms on the sides of his pants. The man, who was still totally new to me, eyed him for a minute, then thrust his hand out. Brian moved like he was going to shake his hand, but as soon as he was close enough, the man pulled him into a hug.  
  
"Damn, boy, you don't know how good it is to see you!" Letty said, hugging him. I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. He and Mia exchanged greetings, and then his attention focused on me.  
  
"Whoo... Leon! Boy! How a doofus-ass white boy like you gonna get with a girl this fine?" he asked. I wanted to laugh.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, wait a second," Leon started. La'Desta interrupted.  
  
"Edwin, this is Zoraida. Not Leon's girl, I told you about her, she ain't back yet," she said. Edwin laughed and apologized, then held his hand out for me to shake.  
  
"Edwin," he said with a wink, "Since you free and all..." I laughed. Free was the exact opposite of what I was. Much like Brian, when I extended my hand to Edwin, he pulled me to him and hugged me. "I'll have my people get in touch with your people, we'll get together," he said slyly. He was a little too touchy-feely for my liking, and kinda cocky to boot.  
  
"No hablo ingles," I said, tilting my head and narrowing my eyes, as if in confusion. He let out a defeated sigh. Letty began to say something, but Hector knew what was up and stopped her as he and Leon shared a moment in which they laughed and rolled their eyes. Letty's glare was going strong as she tried to bore a hole in the side of my face with her eyes. I was really getting tired of her. I ignored my glaring dissatisfaction with my polar opposite and concentrated on Edwin. He had his arm draped over La'Desta's shoulders, and the more I looked at them, the more I realized that he was her brother. They had the same features, like they were copies of each other. It was crazy. I made a mental note to ask Hector about it.  
  
"Well let's sit down or somethin," Hector said, "I ain't about standin here in front of the door."  
  
"Man, you ain't about nothin that don't got to do with food, money, or ass, lazy bitch," Edwin said. I gave Hector a sideways glance to show my disapproval, but he dismissed my gaze by shaking his head. His way of saying, 'don't worry about it.'  
  
The next twenty minutes were long and agonizing. Leon, Hector and Edwin talked and talked, while La'Desta and Mia listened intently. Brian was trying to keep Letty occupied with petty conversation, but her eyes kept finding their way to me, and Leon was just sitting in front of me, not talking, not listening, just being. Whenever Edwin would ask me a question, I would answer with "No hablo." I didn't like him much. Of course, everyone except Edwin knew that I spoke perfect English, even better than my Spanish, but it had always been a way for me to avoid taking to people I didn't like. If I met a white man I didn't want to talk to, it was "No hablo ingles," and similarly, if it was a Mexican who looked particularly threatening or undesirable, it was "Yo hablo ingles" or "Yo no hablo espanol."  
  
Finally, there was a loud banging of feet stomping up the stairs, and I could hear my sister declaring herself the winner. She burst through the door, and everyone's attention was turned toward her. "I won, I won!" she chirpped, oblivious to the new man in the room. Dom entered momentarily, carrying a few bags.  
  
"Yeah, she won." He looked at me and I ran to them both, happy to be out of the uncomfortable situation.  
  
"Where's Vince?" I asked. Edwin jumped up and started goin on about how I said I didn't speak English. Hector settled him down, then turned his attention to the door.  
  
"Yeah, where's Vince?" he asked. Dom jerked his thumb in the direction of the stairs.  
  
"He's comin." I smiled at Dom, kissed him quickly and took my sister to Hector's room without letting her say a word to Edwin. Dom noticed him, and the routine of hugging and shaking hands began again. We were there just long enough to see Vince come stumbling in, coughing and breathing hard.  
  
"Oh girl! I love you!" I said as I pulled the clothes from the bag. I examined them before dismissing her from the room. I pulled the cut-off tee shirt over my head and yanked on the jeans. The door opened and I turned to see who it was as I finished zipping the pants. "Oh, hey," I said, smiling. Dom walked in and shut the door behind him.  
  
"I'm gonna take you out for your birthday, where do you wanna go?" he asked, standing by the door. I explained that I wasn't really familiar with LA, so I didn't know what was there and it was up to him.  
  
The week flew by, and my birthday was there before I even knew it. 27 years old. As promised, Dom took me out for dinner, and had Hector clear the house out for us. When we arrived at Hector's later that night, we were greeted by Leon and Mercedes, who were on the couch, laughing and goofing around.  
  
"Hey, what's goin on here?" I asked. "I thought it was just us tonight?" Dom smiled at me.  
  
"Well, it's just us and them." I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Aright, smartass. So... What's goin on here?" I asked my sister. She regained control of herself and gave me a hug, then everyone wished me a happy birthday. They sat me on the couch and started talking.  
  
"So we were gonna take you to a titty bar tonight," Leon said. Mercedes pinched his arm. "Ow! What'd ya do that for?" he squeaked. She rolled her eyes and continued his explanation.  
  
"Yeah, well, we're not doin that now," she said. I chuckled a little and listened on.  
  
"We're bringin it to you," Dom said. I looked at him sideways and asked him to elaborate. "Maestro!" he said, laughing. Mercedes flipped on the stereo and the thumping violin beat of "Back Dat Ass Up" filled the apartment. Perfectly in synch, my sister sat beside me, and our guys jumped up and began dancing. The sight was so comical that before the first chorus, the two of us were in tears.  
  
'Girl you look good / Won't chu back dat ass up' Juvenile rapped. Dom had his back to us and was dancing like a trained, professional rap video back- up girl. Mercedes and I "whoo"ed and laughed as Leon began dancing like the stripper he was pretending to be, lifting his shirt to expose his stomach. As the second chorus began, they danced in time and had choreographed moves. Tears streamed down my cheeks. The looks on their faces were priceless, as Leon puckered his lips and Dom shimmied toward him. Thankfully, the song was cut short.  
  
"Piece of shit cd burner," my sister managed to choke out between laughs and gulps of air. I was hiccuping from breathing so heavily and laughing so hard. My entire body ached from cracking up, and I was so happy that it was over.  
  
"Where are my singles?" Dom asked, sitting beside me. He fluttered his eyelashes and I laughed harder.  
  
"Ooh girl, what'chu laughin at?" Leon asked in a horribly imitated female voice; he was too busy laughing to get it right. We all calmed down and laid back on the couch, my mind still whizzing from what I'd just encountered.  
  
"Oh geez," Mercedes said as she was thrown into another laughing fit. I joined her, and soon the boys were in on it too.  
  
"Oh shit, oh shit," I wheezed, my laughing coming to a slow stop. We hung out for a few more minutes, trying to calm ourselves and put different images in our minds.  
  
"Ok, your turn," Dom said, laughing still. I looked at him with my face scrunched by laughter.  
  
"You're not serious," I said, smiling. His face remained unchanged until a slow smile spread across his face.  
  
"Oh, he's serious," my sister piped up, allowing a few more giggles to escape her throat. I looked at her with the same dubious glare I'd given Dom only moments before.  
  
"All right... I guess..." I said slowly, still not sure if they were serious or not. When I watched Leon walk to the stereo and change the song, I knew they were for real. A few opening notes were played before I recognized "You're Makin Me High."  
  
"Ah damn," I said, laughing. I stood and pulled my sister off the couch. "If I'm doin this, you gotta do it with me," I explained.  
  
"No, it's all you girl," she replied, trying to sit back down. Leon and Dom looked at each other and moved so that they occupied the entire couch. "Come on guys," she said, "I'm not doin this."  
  
"But that was the idea," Leon rumbled, winking. She rolled her eyes, exhaled with mock annoyance, and stood with me. I started the song over and began dancing toward Dom as Toni Braxton's smooth voice poured from the speakers.  
  
'I always think of you / Inside of my private thoughts / I can imagine you / Touching my private parts,' we sang along with the stereo. I moved Dom's legs as I danced so that his feet were on the floor and I could sit on his lap. I straddled his knees and sat facing him on his legs. I put my hands on the back of his neck and sang to him, staring into his eyes. It was an intense moment.  
  
His hands gripped the bottom of my shirt, and he tried to pull it up. "Are you trippin?" I asked. I continued dancing on his lap.  
  
"Come on," he coaxed. He tried again, but this time I stood up.  
  
"I'm not takin my shirt off with Leon and my sister right there," I said, then I continued singing.  
  
'All I want / Is you there inside me / All night / Ooh baby'  
  
"Come on," he asked again, jerking his head toward my sister, "I doubt they'll care." I looked to see my sister, half naked, leaning onto Leon. He was all over her and they were in their own world.  
  
"Ah what the hell," I said, then yanked my shirt over my head and moved to sit back on his lap. He laughed against my skin as I stood and he pulled me closer to him. He pressed his lips against my stomach and feathered it with kisses. I began breathing heavily and became lightheaded, eventually collapsing onto his thighs to regain my equilibrium.  
  
'It's our first time together and I'm feelin kinda horny / Conventional methods of makin love kinda bored me'  
  
"Mmm..." I groaned. I'd always had a soft spot for LL Cool J, and my sister knew that. Obviously Dom knew it too, because he pulled me back down and it was him, this time, who sang with the music.  
  
"I wanna knock ya block off, get my rocks off, blow ya socks off, make sure ya G spot's soft," he rapped in a whisper against my neck. I moaned as his breath tickled my skin.  
  
"Let's go," I said before I lost the nerve. "Right now."  
  
'So whatcha sayin / I get my swerve on / Bring it down make it last forever / Damn the kitty cat's tired'  
  
"Ah Z," he said, "I don't think I can go anywhere. Let's just hang here for a second..." He swallowed hard and sat me on the couch beside him. I was ready to head to a more private place, so I figured I'd have a little more fun, since he wasn't.  
  
"I need a roughneck nigga, mandingo in the sack, who ain't afraid to pull my hands spank me from da back," I sang softly into his ear. It was fun to watch him squirm as my lips grazed his ear. The torturer had now become the torturee.  
  
This bantering continued for the remainder of the song. I'd try my damndest to make him leave with me, and he'd try his hardest to make me stay. Thanks to my sister, the ending of the song was omitted, her less than appreciative attitude toward the, "orgasmic noises" and "Uncle L's" were too strong for her to listen to it. I always laughed at her.  
  
'You need a hot one I got one / I take and bend / Shake it down, break it down / With me and a friend / Biggity bounce, slide, ride / Work that thing to the right / Push it down, push it up, boom you dynamite'  
  
"Oh shit!" she said, standing. Leon looked in our direction in disbelief.  
  
"Hey, the Hot Boys call!" I said, winking at him. I stood and joined my sister dancing. We chimed in during the chorus.  
  
"What'chu need boy?" she asked Leon.  
  
He replied with "I need a hot girl."  
  
My turn was, "What'chu want boy?"  
  
And Dom's reply, "I want a hot girl."  
  
Mercedes and I looked at each other and laughed. "No, don't do that anymore," she said. We looked at each other and realize that we were standin around half naked.  
  
"You know what would go awesome with this?" Leon asked. Dom nodded.  
  
"A beer and some girly action," he replied, winking at us. I looked at my sister and we both began laughing.  
  
"A beer I can do," I said.  
  
I went to the kitchen and grabbed a six-pack of bottles from the fridge, then came back out just in time to hear Mercedes say, "If we weren't sisters, which makes it illegal, it could've been possible."  
  
"Damn laws," Leon said, feigning exasperation. I laughed and brought out the beer.  
  
"Yes, Hector is God," Dom said as I handed him a bottle. I looked at him, then felt his forehead.  
  
"Are you feelin aright?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah," Mercedes quipped, "you look a little sick."  
  
"Ya'll can go to hell and shut up," Dom said jokingly as he yanked the lid off his beer. "You don't know how long it's been since I had one of these." I just rolled my eyes, sighed, and handed on to Leon.  
  
"You want one?" I offered Mercedes. She shook her head. Neither of us drank beer, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to offer.  
  
"I'll take hers," Dom said, grabbing the one in my hand.  
  
"Hey!" I exclaimed as he snatched the bottle from me. He didn't know I never drank beer. "What if I wanted it?"  
  
"Do you want it?" he asked, holding it out.  
  
"Well no, I don't drink beer," I said. He huffed and sat back, then swallowed half of his own in one large gulp.  
  
"Ahh..." he said. Leon shared his same sentiment and they both leaned back against the couch and drank their beers contently.  
  
"You know," Mercedes said jokingly, "it wouldn't be illegal for you and Letty to go at it," she told me. Leon chuckled, and Dom tried to supress a smile. I looked at my sister contemptuously.  
  
"Yeah, I think it is," I said, trying to end the conversation. "Hey Dom, let's go." Now I was upset. More jealous than mad, but upset nonetheless. I needed some stress relief.  
  
"Aright, aright," he said, following me. I watched him wave goodnight to Leon and Mercedes, then he walked behind me with his arms around my waist. I took the beers from his hand and placed them on the dresser next to Hector's bed.  
  
"What's the plan, baby?" he asked, throwing himself upon the bed. He rolled onto his back as I locked the door. "Wow, Hector has mirrors on his ceiling."  
  
"I know," I said, walking to the bed. "Get naked."  
  
"Whoa! What's goin on?" he asked as I quickly undressed.  
  
"I'm upset, and you're gonna get me un-upset," I said simply, placing my hands on my hips.  
  
He looked at me for a minute, then said, "Aright, come on then."  
  
He didn't have to tell me twice.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 48  
  
"Have fun you two," I called to Z and Dom as they headed for an unoccupied room. Dom laughed that scary, mischevious laugh of his before the door slammed shut. I looked at Leon and he had the biggest smile on his face.  
  
"Oh," I laughed. "I'm not finished."  
  
"What're you talkin about?" Leon sighed. I could tell he was excited and that made my plan even more agonizing for him. I headed into the kitchen and looked in the refrigerator to find not only a six pack of beer, but also a six pack of bottled water. I figured it must've been La'Desta's because Hector hated water. His water was beer.  
  
"Good times," I said to myself. I grabbed two bottles and went back into the living room to find Leon still sitting on the couch.  
  
"What took so long?" he whined.  
  
"I was gone two seconds," I argued.  
  
"Seemed like five days to me," he said sarcastically with his eyes wide. I smiled, opened the bottles, and set them on the table. I grabbed the remote to the stereo.  
  
"What're you doin?" he innocently asked.  
  
"Did you graduate?" I asked suddenly. He replied in laughter and I stood in front of him. I pressed play on the remote and my absolute favorite song began playing: 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' by Def Leppard. Leon laughed loudly and I smiled.  
  
"Jesus Christ!" I heard someone yell. I stopped the song and turned around to see Dom standing in the hall with a sheet wrapped around his waist. "People are tryin to fuck in here," he said, motioning toward the room he and Z were in.  
  
"Look," he started, putting both his hands up and letting the sheet fall by accident.  
  
"Whoa!" I yelled. "One hand on the sheet Dom!"  
  
"Whoa, hey!" he said, grabbing the sheet up again.  
  
"Is it cold in there?" Leon asked. I turned my head so Dom wouldn't see me laughing.  
  
"Shut your mouth," Dom demanded.  
  
"Go on in there and whip it out for her big boy," Leon continued to joke.  
  
"Yeah, right on your forehead," Dom said, before going back into his room.  
  
"Can I continue uninterrupted?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Go on baby," Leon cooed.  
  
"Thank you!" I stammered. I pressed play once again and the song began.  
  
The strong beat completely took me over, as it always did whenever I listened to this song. I began swinging my hips left to right insync with the drums, then faster with the rhythm of the guitar.  
  
'Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on/Livin' like a lover with a radar phone/Lookin' like a tramp like a video vamp/Demolitian woman can I be your man' Along with my hips, my head was snapping left to right with my hair flying every which way.  
  
"Oh God," I heard Leon whisper. I smiled, but it quickly dropped because I didn't wanna ruin the sexiness of the song. I looked at him with hair all over my face and grabbed one of the water bottles.  
  
'Take a bottle, shake it up/Break the bubble, break it up' I shook the bottle with my thumb over the opening. 'Pour some sugar on me!' I lifted it over my head and began pouring the water all over myself. Yeah, I was getting the carpet soaked, but I didn't care... I was havin fun.  
  
"Come here," Leon growled. He grabbed my waist and yanked me onto his lap. Because I was only in my bra, he was able to lick the water from my stomach and chest.  
  
"Aright, let's go," I said. I was nearly as excited as he was. He looked up at me.  
  
"Shit, ain't got to tell me twice," he said just before picking my up and putting me over his shoulder. He ran to another room and threw me down on the bed before shutting the door and locking it.  
  
"Let's get nasty," he said. My eyebrows furrowed and I looked at him stupidly.  
  
"Don't ever say that again," I told him. He laughed then jumped on the bed and crawled on top of me. "White wedding?" I asked, sitting up on my elbows and looking him in the eyes.  
  
"Blue wedding," he declared.  
  
"White wedding," I said again.  
  
"Light blue wedding?" he asked.  
  
"White wedding," I said, getting a little bit irritated.  
  
"Ok, white wedding," he finally agreed. I smiled and nodded. He kissed me and I slowly laid back on the bed.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 49  
  
When I woke the next morning, my entire body ached. "Happy Birthday to me..." I sang softly as I crawled painfully out of Hector's bed. I stood and yanked the sheet from the bed, covered myself up and walked toward the bathroom. I stopped midstep and turned to look at the empty bed. "Where's Dom?" I thought aloud. He wasn't in the room, and I couldn't find him anywhere else in the apartment, so I shrugged and went on to the bathroom.  
  
I grabbed a towel and hopped in the shower, happy to have hot water. I remembered that I was at Hector's and reluctantly got out before the water ran cold. I wrapped myself in the towel and walked briskly back into the bedroom.  
  
"Ah!" I screamed as I ran into someone. I wasn't paying attention, and ran smack into my sister.  
  
"Jesus!" she yelled. I clutched my chest and grabbed my clothes from the floor.  
  
"What are you doin?" I asked, still breathing erratically.  
  
"Lookin at myself in the mirror, what's it look like?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"Hey girlie," I started jokingly, "don't give me an attitude like you think you know me..."  
  
"Shh!" she hushed. I shut up and looked at her. She was examining herself in the full-length mirror on the wall, moving from full-frontal view to profiles and back again.  
  
"No, seriously, what are you doing?" I asked, more concerned this time. I yanked my underwear on, then my bra. As I pulled the shirt I'd grabbed over my head, I realized that it was not mine. "What the fuck?" I asked. I saw that it was Dom's shirt that he'd tossed to the side in an effort to make me feel better. I smiled and giggled a little, before walking up to Mercedes and putting my chin on her shoulder.  
  
"I'm trying to imagine what I'd look like if I gained a little weight," she said dreamily. I twisted my face in confusion.  
  
"Why? Did Leon say you were too skinny or somethin?" I was genuinely confused.  
  
"No, Leon doesn't know anything about it..." she said slowly, still moving. I removed my head from her shoulder and went back to the bed and grabbed my pants.  
  
As I pulled them up, I turned around to look at myself while I buttoned them. My reflection was blocked by Mercedes, who was rubbing her hands over her stomach. My eyes lit up with realization. "Oh my God..." I whispered. She turned around and bit her bottom lip. I strode quicky to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Mercedes Selena Moreno," I said, whipping out the motherly tone I'd mastered after so many years of bossing my younger sibings around, "I'm gonna ask you a question, and it's imperative that you tell me the truth." She nodded slowly, her eyes wide with surprise. "Are you late?" I asked slowly.  
  
"Well..." she started, lowering her head sheepishly, "Two weeks..."  
  
"Oh Jesus," I interrupting, letting out a hard sigh, "Just two weeks, that's nothing... That's too much strenuous activity... Too much stress... Whew..."  
  
She cleared her throat, "Two weeks ago was a month and a half." I nearly fell over.  
  
"Oh sweet Jesus..." I put my hands on my head and began pacing, "I'm gonna be on the news!"  
  
"Oh come on Z, chill. It's not that big of a deal," she said.  
  
"Not that big of a deal?" I asked, my eyes nearly bulging from their sockets. "Ok, this is what we're gonna do. You and I are gonna go right now and get a test, because this unsure thing is not gonna work. Come on." I yanked her arm and flew out of the bedroom, stopping only to grab Dom's keys.  
  
"Where's Leon?" she asked as we passed the living room couch, "He came out here last night..."  
  
"No time to worry about him now," I said, pulling her outside.  
  
"Z?" she asked quietly once we were in the car.  
  
"What?" I asked curtly, starting the engine.  
  
"You do know that you're not wearing any shoes, right?"  
  
"I'm aware," I said, turning around in the driver's seat to take a look behind me, then I backed out of the parking space quickly, squealing the tires. I slammed the car into drive and took off toward a small convenience store that Dom and I had passed on the way back from dinner the night before. Dom. Where was he, anyway?  
  
I jumped out of the car without even turning off the ignition as soon as I pulled into the small store's lot. I jogged into the establishment and grabbed the first pregnancy test I found. I waited impatiently as the old female clerk gave me a strange look.  
  
"With all do respect, ma'am," I said as sweetly as I could, "but could we hurry this along, please?" She rang up my purchase and took my money, then began muttering in Spanish as I left the store. I huffed as I flopped into the driver's seat.  
  
"What's the matter?" my sister asked.  
  
"Old people... I swear to fuckin God." I slammed my foot on the gas pedal and backed out onto the street, then raced back to Hector's.  
  
"Ok," Mercedes said as we entered the house, "what do I do?"  
  
"You piss on it, then we wait for five minutes," I said, pushing her toward the bathroom.  
  
"You say that like you've done it before," she laughed.  
  
I narrowed my eyes and closed the door, "I have."  
  
Minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom. "Ok, now we wait," she said softly, cracking her knuckles. I could hear the ticking of a clock, which I hadn't noticed before, at all. The time we waited for the result of the test was the longest five minutes of my life, and I'm sure they were twice as long for her. Suddenly, I came out of my dreamy state and looked at the clock.  
  
"Aright, it's time," I said softly.  
  
"Ok," she said, walking toward the bathroom. She got to the doorjamb, and grasped it. She stood there for a long moment, not saying anything.  
  
"What's the matter?" I asked.  
  
"I can't... I can't do it," she said, looking at me. "I can't look."  
  
I stood up and hugged her, then walked in and grabbed the small white apparatus. The tip was blue.  
  
"It's blue..." I said, staggering out of the bathroom. I leaned against the wall and sank to the floor; I felt like I'd just been kicked in the stomach by a sumo wrestler.  
  
"Yes! It's blue!" she celebrated. "That's good, right?" I looked up to see her smiling down at me.  
  
"Blue means pregnant," I said slowly. Her face slowly dropped, and she performed the same action of seating herself on the floor that I'd jst completed. I looked at her, and her eyes were watering. "Oh God, don't cry, please sweetie," I said, hugging her. She laid her head on my shoulder and I could feel her shaking with every sob. I stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. "Shh," I said softly, "it's gonna be alright." We sat there, unmoving for a long time. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard Hector's voice.  
  
"Chicas!" he hollered, walking into the house. Mercedes quickly jumped up and dried her face.  
  
"Oh my God, Hector can not find out! If Hector finds out, he'll kill Leon!" she hissed.  
  
"It's okay, just go in there, wash your face, calm down, I'll take care of it," I said, pushing her into the bathroom.  
  
"Hey!" Hector said as he almost ran into me.  
  
"Hey, bro," I said slowly. He looked at me with narrowed eyes. I remembered that I hadn't left the test in the bathroom, but had dropped it on the floor while I was in shock. 'Fuck!' I thought to myself. I couldn't visualize where it was on the floor, but apparently Hector could see it.  
  
"Oh shit, is that what I think it is?" he asked, his head cocking to the side.  
  
"What are you talkin about?" I asked, playing dumb.  
  
"Son of a bitch," he said, darting to pick it up from the floor. He snatched it before I could stop him. "Mercedes Selena Moreno, out here, now!" he bellowed. She walked out slowly.  
  
"Why you middle-namin me for?" she asked, full of attitude. She stepped out from the bathroom, but slunk back in and nearly hid behind the door when she saw Hector's face.  
  
"Now," he said sternly.  
  
"I'm c-com-coming," she stammered, peeking from behind the door. He gave her a steady, deathly stare which made her emerge completely from the bathroom.  
  
"Whose is this?" he asked sternly. She looked at me stiffly.  
  
"Mine," I said, blinking. I saw Mercedes' eyes widen, then return to normal, and I couldn't believe what I'd said either. I figured that Hector would really be out for Leon if he knew it was hers, but what was he gonna do to Dom? Nothing.  
  
"Mercedes, you need to get outta here," Hector said softly but sternly.  
  
"Uhm, uh, why?" she asked softly. He took his eyes away from mine to look at her briefly.  
  
"Because I'm gonna kill our sister, and I don't think you wanna watch!" he yelled.  
  
"Oh, ok, aright. I'm outta here, see ya," she said, then she took off toward the front door. Hector's eyes came back to mine. We were both silent until we heard the door slam.  
  
"Hector," I started. He held up his hand and cut me off. He looked away.  
  
"Go in the living room, Zoraida, I can't even talk to you right this moment, gimme a minute," he said. I couldn't believe the audacity.  
  
"You motherfucker," I said dubiously, "Who the hell do you think you are?" I yelled. His face was still turned from mine.  
  
"Z!" he screamed over me. "Please, go sit down. We need to talk." I allowed myself to calm down a little, and walked quickly into the living room, flopping myself onto the couch. I rubbed my temples. I'd had a traumatic morning, and he wasn't making it any easier. He took his sweet time coming into the room, still not looking at me.  
  
"What now?" I asked, sighing.  
  
"Is Dom the father?" he asked. His eyes met mine, and I could see a hopeful look in them.  
  
"Yeah," I said, rolling my eyes and shaking my head. I put my elbows on my knees and hung my head. I sighed heavily. 'What are you doing?' my mind screamed.  
  
"Jesus Christ," he said, exhaling loudly. He nearly fell onto the recliner he was standing by. He sighed also, whistling. "Shit."  
  
"Hector," I started. His hand went up again.  
  
"Please Z, I need time to think," he said softly.  
  
"Fine, whatever, man," I said rudely. I stood and walked out of the apartment, slamming the door behind me.  
  
"Is everything aright?" Mercedes asked. She was standing by a Coke machine at the end of the hallway.  
  
"Yeah, peachy," I said. I continued walking. She ran after me.  
  
"Thank you," she said softly, pacing beside me. I nodded in acknowledgement. "What happens now?" she questioned.  
  
"Well, I suppose he's gonna say something to Dom," I answered. She nodded.  
  
"Yeah, probably. What are you gonna tell him?" she asked demurely. "I mean, when he finds out that you're not pregnant." I thought about it for a minute, still walking straight ahead. I didn't know where I was going, and the blacktop was burning my naked feet. Tears stung my eyes. I'd spent so much time worrying about my brother and sister, that I'd never given any thought to having a family of my own. Now the idea presented itself, but it was a lie.  
  
"I guess I'll tell him I had a miscarriage or somethin," I said, allowing the tears to fall from down my face.  
  
"Z, don't cry," my sister said, trying to comfort me. I looked at her and she was crying, too. "Come on girl, I'm pregnant, my hormones are all wild!" I laughed at her through my tears, and she joined me. I hugged her tightly.  
  
"Ok, I'm not gonna be pregnant for long if you don't let up," she laughed, mocking a suffocated tone. I laughed and let go.  
  
"Aright girl, let's get back, Hector's probably got the police out lookin for us, we've been gone for two whole seconds." We laughed again and headed back. As we walked up the steps and headed toward Hector's, Letty tore down them, nearly knocking us over.  
  
"What the fuck?" I said, holding my arms out to my sides.  
  
"You skanky fuckin slut!" she screamed at me once she'd reached the ground.  
  
"Oh hell no," I said, walking back down the stairs. Mercedes grabbed my shirt and tried to hold me back, but I was pissed off. "What the fuck is your problem, bitch?" I asked, just as heated as she was. I kept walking until we were chest-to-chest. She put her hands on my shoulders and shoved me roughly away.  
  
"Get the fuck away from me, you stupid whore!" she screamed.  
  
"What Letty, what's the matter with you? Are you jealous?" I yelled, "I've been nothing but decent to you since you fuckin decided to drag your bitchy ass into my life, and you've given me nothing but dirty looks and shit, you need to check yourself and understand who the fuck you're dealin with."  
  
"And you need to step the fuck outta my face," she growled. I gave her a shocked look.  
  
"Excuse me?" I asked, "No honey, you don't fuckin talk to me like that. I need to step the fuck outta your face? Or what?" Her eyes were throwing Samurai swords at mine. We were toe to toe again, and I could tell that she was ready to do something.  
  
As soon as I was sure that she was getting ready to turn away, I was even more pissed. "What, are you gonna hit me? You gonna fuckin hit a pregnant woman?" I raised my eyebrows, and I could see that her mind was completely gone. "Come on, Letty," I instigated melodically, "fuck-in hit me." Suddenly I felt arms wrap around my waist, and I could see Vince rushing around and pulling Letty away.  
  
"Let go of me you fuckin prick!" she screamed. She was kicking and fighting, trying to get away. "I'll kill you, I'll fucking kill you!" she screamed at Vince, beating his chest with her fists, letting out all of her frustration. I was whipped around and dropped on the pavement. I looked up to see Edwin smiling at me.  
  
"You a crazy bitch, you know dat?" he said. I smiled sarcastically at him.  
  
"Help me up."  
  
"Now that ain't no way to talk to someone who probably just saved ya damn life," he said, grabbing my arms. He yanked me off the ground and turned me toward him. He pulled my front to his. "Oh, Zoraida!" he said, winking.  
  
"Pig," I said, shaking myself free of his hands. I could see that Letty was talking to Vince and had her back to me, so I decided to leave well enough alone, and walked upstairs.  
  
I stormed past the small crowd of Hector's neighbors who'd gathered to see us fight, and stomped upstairs. Hector, Dom, Leon, Mia, Brian, La'Desta and Mercedes were all standing in the hall, watching the action. As I walked past them, Dom grabbed for my arm, "Don't," Hector and Mercedes both warned.  
  
He dropped his hand and yelled, "Grah!" I walked into Hector's apartment and slammed the door behind me. I sat on the couch and waited for everyone to file in. My sister came in first, followed by Dom.  
  
"Girl, come here," Mercedes said, hugging me again. We sat there for a minute, hugging, until Dom interrupted.  
  
"Baby..." he started. I grabbed him around his neck and hugged him, too. He shut up and held me for a minute before pulling away. "Z," he said, looking at my face, "I'm racin tonight. Edwin's got the heads up on the races around here, and he found a way for me to make some quick cash." He looked at me questioningly.  
  
"You want me to stay home, right?" I asked sharply. He moved back a little and put his hands up in defense.  
  
"No, actually, I want you to go," he said softly. "And Leon wants you to come," he said to my sister. Her eyes lit up and flipped to mine. I could see that she really wanted to go, and wanted me to come.  
  
"Aright," I said softly. "What time?"  
  
"10," he said surely. I nodded and he kissed my cheek. "I love you," he said softly before leaving the room. I looked at the VCR. It was only noon.  
  
Later, after everyone had calmed down, we all were readying ourselves for the festivities of the night.  
  
"Baby, Mercedes, you guys gotta understand something," Dom said, walking into the bathroom where we were finishing with getting dressed and made up, "this is illegal as..."  
  
"As illegal?" Mercedes offered. I laughed.  
  
"Yeah, that's it," Dom said, rolling his eyes. "If ya'll don't wanna go, it's ok."  
  
"No, we're going," I said simply. He smiled and nodded, then left.  
  
"That kid is head over heels," my little sister muttered, applying mascara to her already-black eyelashes.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't trust Letty," I said softly. I finished putting on my lipstick and threw it on the counter. "You ready?"  
  
"Mmmhmm," she replied. "Let's roll."  
  
Leon, Dom, Mercedes and I all piled into a red Mazada that had magically appeared in the parking lot.  
  
"Where the hell did this come from?" I asked as Leon slid into the backseat. I pushed the passenger's seat back after he'd settled and climbed in.  
  
"Hector's been holding it for a special occasion," Dom explained as he helped Mercedes into the seat beside Leon. He sat in his driver's seat, slammed his door shut, and waited for me to close my door. He made some kind of hand motion and we took off, followed by Edwin's car and Hector's, which were both full of the rest of our little dysfunctional family.  
  
"Jesus Christ," I said as we approached the race site. "'Mana, check it out," I said in awe. Mercedes stuck her head between the front seats. We peered out, seeing a sea of cars and people.  
  
"I've just died and gone to Heaven," she said sfotly. I smiled and nodded.  
  
"Remember," Dom said sternly, "this is a dangeous place. These people aren't exactly nice to new people, so don't leave us. Stay with me or Leon or Hector. Got it?" he asked. I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes.  
  
"Yes, Daddy" Mercedes said jokingly.  
  
"No, seriously," Leon said. "Don't go anywhere without us."  
  
"Okay, okay, we won't," my sister said, exasperated. She sat back against the seat roughly.  
  
"Z, promise me," Dom said, looking at me. His eyes flipped between the road and my face. I nodded. "No, say it," he persisted.  
  
"Fine, I promise," I said.  
  
"Thank you. Now ladies, get ready to see the greatest show on Earth."  
  
"I thought we were goin to a race, not the circus," Mercedes said, laughing. I laughed, too.  
  
"No, that's only the second greatest show on Earth," Dom explained, "This is is seventh wonder of the world."  
  
----------------  
  
Part 50  
  
"I love the circus," I continued. I remembered a long time ago when our dad used to take Hector, Z, and I to the circus. Those were the best days... when our dad was around.  
  
"I've never been to a circus," Leon said. I jumped and looked at him.  
  
"What?!" I squeaked.  
  
"I never knew my dad and my mom was too busy to even think about taking me anywhere. Then she left when I was 16," he explained. "But she taught me how to drive. I love her for that, but... nothin else." I smiled sadly and laid my head on his shoulder. I folded my arms over my stomach and remembered... I was pregnant.  
  
I was only 22 and pregnant, but the father was the man I lost my virginity to, the man I fell in love with, and the man I was gonna marry... hopefully. I was scared to death when I thought about telling him. What if he got mad and left me? What if he stayed with me only if I got an abortion? But then again, what if he was excited?  
  
Leon and I had never, ever talked about kids. The thought never crossed my mind and obviously never crossed his, but, nonetheless, I was excited. I'd always wanted kids because I was a big kid.  
  
"What's wrong?" Leon asked, dropping his head down to my level. "Ya ok?"  
  
"Mmm hmm," I squeaked happily. I was all too good at pretending nothing was wrong. We shared a quick kiss as the car came to a stop. Z attempted to get out, but Dom grabbed her arm and pulled her back.  
  
"Hold on," he said. He turned in his seat to face me and Leon. "Play it cool," he said to Leon. "And you," he started, looking at me again. "Stay close." I saluted him.  
  
"Yes sir." He snatched my wrist in his hand and it looked like he could wrap his fingers around again.  
  
"I'm serious," he stammered.  
  
"Aright!" I squealed, yanking my wrist away from him. We finally got out and everyone was staring at us.  
  
"Ya get the feelin you're bein stared at?" Z asked. I smiled. Once people realized the driver was Dominic Toretto, they were crowded around him in a matter of seconds.  
  
"Right this way Leon," Hector instructed once he'd fought his way through the horde of people. We followed him out until we stood in front of a beautiful yellow Nissan Skyline.  
  
"Oh my God," Leon laughed, putting his hand over his mouth. "Where'd you find this?!"  
  
"Connections baby!" Hector smiled. They shared a hug and I was still left in the dark.  
  
"What, did you lose your virginity in this car?" I asked. Leon chuckled.  
  
"No, not that." He told me to get in, but I was stopped when I headed for the passenger side. "Wrong side," he said. I learned that the steering wheel was on the other side and, needless to say, I was a big fan.  
  
This car had it all: police scanners, NOS tanks in the backseat, 10 disc CD player, Playstation 2, and heated seats. I didn't approve of the color much, but the inside made it all better.  
  
"You look so hot tonight," he said with slight laughter.  
  
"I know, right?" I smiled brightly. He reached over and attempted to untie my top, but I quickly grabbed his hands.  
  
"I don't think so," I cooed. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him over the scanners and almost on top of me. I bit my bottom lip as I ran my fingers through his always soft hair. Suddenly, there was a strong tapping at the window. We jumped and saw Dom standing there. Leon reached over me and rolled down the window.  
  
"What?" he yelled.  
  
"You got those scanners on?" Dom asked, slowly.  
  
"Yes, they're on, now go away," Leon demanded. He rolled the window up again and locked the doors. When Dom had walked away, he flipped the scanners on. I gasped.  
  
"You're a liar!" I said. He smiled innocently then nodded.  
  
"Yes, I am," he said. I put my hands on his face and kissed him. He pulled away and he glanced to the race scene. "Oh shit," he breathed. I looked too and saw Dom face to face with some unknown man... I couldn't see his face. "I'll be right back." He began to get out, but quickly turned to me. "Don't move," he said.  
  
"I won't," I said quietly.  
  
"Please?"  
  
"Where'm I gonna go?!" I yelled. He got out and ran to the now fight scene. I played with a few of the buttons on the console before getting scared I would break the car. I got out and leaned against the hood. I figured he wouldn't get mad if I was still by the car. I placed my hands on the hood behind me and and flung my head back so my hair would get out of my face.  
  
"Now that's a sight," I heard someone say. I lifted my head slowly and looked at the Korean man.  
  
"Who the fuck are you?" I asked.  
  
"Lance," he replied. "Lance Tran."  
  
"Who?" I asked, trying my hardest to show that I wasn't interested in this short guy standing in front of me.  
  
"You're very beautiful, just like your father said," he said. My heart stopped. I looked at him.  
  
"What did you say?" I asked. I looked over his head and saw Leon and Z jogging over to us. The man who called himself Lance, quickly ran away into a black Mercedes-Benz. I stood from the Nissan and stared into the driver's seat.  
  
"Dad?" I whispered. He looked so familiar, he looked like my father, but there was no way it could've been him.  
  
"Hey," Z breathed from behind me. I was frozen; I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't blink. "What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"It's dad," I finally said.  
  
"What?" came the reply.  
  
"Look!" I yelled, grabbing her arm. The Mercedes still sat there with the driver staring back at me.  
  
"No, that's not him," Z said.  
  
"That's him!" I continued. "Look!"  
  
"No, no, it's not him," she said softly. She put her arms around me and pulled me away.  
  
"Oh my God," Leon said. "It's Lance."  
  
"Who?" my sister asked, sounding like me. I instructed her to walk ahead of us so I could talk to Leon.  
  
"Who's Lance Tran?" I asked slowly.  
  
"Not a nice person," he answered. I looked again at the Mercedes before it drove off, then I was told to get back in the Nissan. I plopped onto the seat and Leon shut the door before running around to his side.  
  
"Tell me about Lance," I said once he'd gotten in.  
  
"No," he whispered, shaking his head. His stare was pointed at the floor and he refused to look at me.  
  
"Do you know my father?" I asked way before I even knew what I was saying. His head slowly raised and turned to me. He didn't answer. "You know him," I whispered. He shook his head.  
  
"Not exactly," he said.  
  
"Then what, exactly do you know?" I demanded. He began to speak, but was cut off. 'We have reported street racing...'  
  
"Oh shit!" Leon exclaimed. He grabbed the cell phone, which doubled as a walky-talky and started yelling: "Cops, cops, cops!" I looked away and saw every person on the street scatter to the left or the right, depending on which side their car was on. They jumped in and sped off. Cars were speeding passed us every which way.  
  
"Buckle up," Leon warned. I listened to him because I knew what kind of driver he was and buckled my seat belt. He slammed his foot on the gas and we were off following Dom in his ugly red Mazda. I wasn't gonna forget the conversation Leon and I were having, I was sure to ask about it later.  
  
"I'm pregnant," I whispered very softly. I wasn't even sure I was talking.  
  
"What?" Leon asked. I told him it was nothing as we weaved in and out of traffic. I'd tell him later... yeah, later. Much later. 


	11. Parts 51 - 55

Part 51  
  
"Oh shit!" I hissed, "Shit, we're gonna get caught! Goddamn it Dom, I know this piece of shit goes faster than this!" He weaved through the traffic on our side of the road with alarming precision.  
  
"We're fine," he said through clenched teeth. With all of his strength, he jerked the wheel to the right, turning onto a side street. He slowed down and I was able to breathe again as I heard the sirens pass. We came to a rolling stop by a large building, which provided some cover. As soon as the car stopped, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. I couldn't believe what had just happened.  
  
"Don't you ever, ever do that to me again!" I said with a raised voice as I slunk back into my seat. I placed my elbow on the door where the window was open and rested my forehead in my hand. I could hear Dom sigh, and looked up in time to see him press against the steering wheel and stretch out.  
  
"I'm sorry," he finally said after a long period of quiet. I nodded and apologized for yelling. He looked at me from his seat, and reached a hand out to me. I held it with my own, tracing his fingers with my eyes, memorizing the moment. After another stretch of not talking, he interrupted my memorizing with three little words, "Let's get married."  
  
I looked up skeptically, to see if he was serious. He nodded. "Ok," I said, "let's get married."  
  
"Aright," he replied, turning back to face the road. "When?"  
  
Feeling adventurous, I answered, "Tonight." His face returned my earlier skepticism. "Right now. Let's go. We'll go to Vegas." I was beaming.  
  
"Ok," he said, turning on the ignition, "Vegas it is."  
  
We rode through the cool desert night, our average speed being between 100 and 120 miles-per-hour. I tried to explain that the car was not made to withstand that kind of speed on dusty, gravelly roads, but my advice was ignored. Instead, Dom stayed focused completely on Vegas.  
  
A few hours after his initial proposal, we were closing in on a very brightly lit piece of land. Soon, we came to the famous sign. "'The Fabulous Las Vegas Welcomes You,'" I read, smiling. Dom turned his head to look at me from the driver's seat.  
  
"You ready?" he asked.  
  
"Waiting and willing," I replied, blowing him and air kiss. He laughed at my sorry attempt at a joke, his voice filling the car. "Don't patronize me," I said, feigning offense.  
  
"You know you like it," he replied, still laughing.  
  
"Well, I suppose you've got a point- Ooh! Stop!" I interrupted myself. We'd come to the first wedding chapel, and I was ready to wed.  
  
He stopped, and we walked hurriedly into the small, white building. Pink and blue neon signs decorated the inside, which, surprisingly, was rather immaculate... Almost boring. Nevertheless, it was an open wedding chapel, so it was fine by me. We were met at a reception desk by an older, pleasant faced, portly woman with bleached-blonde hair and bright red lipstick. Her white uniform resembled that of a nurse's, but seemed to be a few sizes too small as she stepped around her desk to show us into a waiting room. The forms we'd been given included medical papers, a marriage certificate, and two drafts for wills.  
  
"Whoa," Dom whispered, "we're just tryin to get married... Do ya think they think we have life insurance or somethin?" he asked, smiling. We filled out the necessary information on all of the papers, except the wills.  
  
"Ma'am?" I asked, walking out to the reception area, "these wills-"  
  
"Oh yes, I suppose I forgot to tell you," she said, with her high-pitched voice that had come to severely annoy me in the total of ten minutes that we'd been in the building, "these are your will drafts. It's included with your prenups. See," she said, pointing to a space, "this is where you and your fiance over there divvy up who gets what. Kids, cars, the house, in case of a divorce, annulment, or sudden death." She blinked a few times and gave me what Dom and I would later refer to as, her trademark smile, which probably showed every tooth in her mouth.  
  
"Well," I said, scrunching my brow, "all right then. So we just fill these out, and take them to them into the chapel and have them notarized?" I asked. She nodded. I thanked the woman and she began walking back to her post.  
  
"Oh, do you have rings?" she asked.  
  
"Damn it!" I hissed. I turned and smiled, "No, but do we really need them?" By now, I'd left Dom alone for too long, so he sauntered out, sliding his arm around my shoulders.  
  
"Well of course!" the receptionist enthused. I looked at Dom, and he nodded. "Here," she led us to a small display case. "This is our emergency diamond collection," she explained, showing me the rings. They all had reasonable sized diamonds, but were all gold, fake-looking, and hideously ugly. I turned to Dom, who shrugged.  
  
"I don't really like gold," I said, trying to stay polite. Even that didn't stop her.  
  
"Well why didn't ya say so?" she screeched. I found myself being pulled to another edge of the room, to yet another display case. Contrary to the one before it, this case displayed simple, yet elegant, silver bands. No gaudy rejects from the Mr. T Collection, and no raised stones. She pulled out a delecate ring and handed it to me. I moved it through my fingers, switching it from hand to hand, as I examined it. The flat, round stones were spaced evenly around the band, nestled within the metal, which meant no worries about snagging it or cutting someone, and the simplicity of the ring itself was very attractive.  
  
"I like this one," I said, trying it on. I held up my left hand, complete with the ring, for Dom to see.  
  
"Gorgeous," he said, kissing my cheek. "We'll take it."  
  
"Oh wonderful!" The woman began bustling about, ringing up reciepts and the like. "And now for the gentleman..."  
  
"I don't really need one..." he started.  
  
"Yes, you do," I said, remembering the stabbing glances from Letty and near fight from earlier. "Do you have one similar in a man's style?" I asked. He knew that he'd been beat and took a step back, allowing me to have my way with the purchase. We were able to find another, wider ring for Dominic, with larger, square stones. I chose the rings, and the woman happily totaled our entire ceremony.  
  
"That will be... including services and the rings... 8,000 dollars," she chirpped. I looked expectantly at Dom, who produced the bulk of the money he'd taken to the races. As he forked over the cash, I took off my ring and handed it to the receptionist-turned-saleswoman.  
  
"Okay, now if you'll go back and finish with your forms, Father Gellar will see you in a few minutes." I smiled and thanked her, then walked back into the waiting room. We proceeded to fill out the will drafts.  
  
"'In the event of my death, I give full custody of my minor child or children to...'" Dom read. He looked at me, his eyes wide. "To who? Hector? Leon?"  
  
"I think Leon and Mercedes," I said finally, after careful consideration. I'd taken care of them both for a long time, but I trusted that Leon and Mercedes were more responible than Hector. I thought breifly about Brian and Mia, but didn't think it would be fair to burden them, especially because they didn't really know me.  
  
"Ok then, Leon and Mercedes Ferrano." I nodded and wrote the names. We were finished. I took the papers to the notary desk and was stamped, sealed, and ready to go.  
  
"Are you sure you're aright with this?" I asked as we waited for the priest. I looked at Dom, and he looked down at me, smiling.  
  
"Never been more sure of anything in my life," he replied. He leaned down and softly kissed my lips.  
  
"Huh hmm." We were interrupted by a man clearing his throat. I looked in front of us to see a young man in a red uniform usuhering us toward the altar. "Sir, Miss," he said politely, "please, this way."  
  
As we walked slowly with the usher into the shallow room, perhaps it was a full 10 foot hike from the door to the priest, an Elvis-ized, rock and roll, guitar version of the "Wedding March" was cued. I smiled, looked at Dom, who was smiling back at me, then continued walking forward. When we reached him, the priest began speaking at once. He went on with the standard, cookie-cutter ceremonial speech: "Ladies and geltlemen, we are gathered here today to join..." blah blah blah; "If anyone has any objection, let him speak now or forever hold his..." yeah, yeah; "Do you, Dominic Toretto take Zoraida Moreno to be your lawfully wedded wife?" "I do" yadda yadda yadda; "With this ring, I thee wed," and so on and so forth. Finally, the words I'd been waiting for had arrived...  
  
"By the power vested in me by the city of Las Vegas in the great state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." We wasted no time locking lips. When he pulled away, there was a giddy smile plastered to Dom's face, and I'm sure I was mirroring the look. We left the small establishment, hopped in the car, and headed back to Hector's.  
  
"My God," I said, sighing, "everybody's gonna trip."  
  
"'S alright," he said, looking at me, "Mrs. Toretto." I smiled, loving the sound of my new name. Zoraida Toretto. Six months before, I never would've thought it possible.  
  
We arrived back at Hector's as the sun was rising. Instead of going straight to my brother's house, Dom said he wanted to take me somewhere. We ended up on a beach, watching the sunrise. It was a breathtaking sight, but when Dom told me about how his parents used to take him and his sister there when they were young, I knew I was sharing it with the most special person in the world. I laid my seat back and watched with awe. Dom followed suit, reclining his seat as well. His hand reached over to mine, and grabbed it. Periodically, I could feel his grasp tighten, as if to make sure that I was still there. His hand finally settle on my stomach, and I was overcome with a feeling of guilt.  
  
"Dominic..." I said softly. He looked at me.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked dreamily. His voice was light, as if he'd been lost in thought.  
  
"About this situation..." I said, nodding toward his hand.  
  
He cut me off, "Don't worry, baby, I'll take care of everything... You don't have to worry about anything..." I could sense the tension in his voice, and wasn't quite sure if he was ready for my news. I had to tell him though, before my lie became larger than life.  
  
"No, Dom, listen," I said, sitting up, "I've got something really important to say, and I need you to listen..." He nodded and propped himself up on his elbow. "I-I'm-I'm not really pregnant," I said quickly. His face twisted as he tried to take in what I'd said. A calm look washed over him, and he laid back on his seat, with his hands behind his head. "I only said I was to cover up for my sister-" I stopped short, because I'd almost said way too much.  
  
"Wait a second..." he said, looking at the ceiling of the car, "Mercedes... Leon... She's the one who's pregnant?"  
  
"Yeah," I said, swallowing hard. He smiled, but I couldn't tell if he was happy or being a jerk.  
  
"Thank God," he said, sitting up.  
  
"Wha- Huh?" I asked, confused. Did he not want kids?, I wondered aloud.  
  
"No, no, I want kids. I definitely want kids," he reinforced, "I just wanna be able to take care of 'em all." He winked and smiled at me. "All thiry-two of 'em," he joked, sitting up.  
  
"Thrirty-two? I don't think so sweetie. More like three, maybe four, if you're lucky," I argued jokingly. His face was nearing mine, his lips curved in a playful smile as they began a slow motion toward mine.  
  
"We'll talk," he snickered. I smiled and pulled him to me by his shirt, pressing our lips together. "Ok, to Hector's. They're probably wondering where we are," he said once we'd stopped kissing. I sat up, and the seat snapped behind me into place.  
  
"Hector!" I said. "Oh my God Dom, what am I gonna tell Hector?"  
  
"About what?" he asked. I gave him a warning look, which must've turned on a light, because his eyes widened a little.  
  
"Oh," he said, "that. Well..." I watched as a mischevious look spread from his lips to his eyes. "We did sign papers saying that custody of our kids would go to Leon and Mercedes... Why don't we give 'em somethin to take care of?" he asked. I laughed.  
  
"You're serious?" I said, raising my eyebrows. He nodded. "Here, in the car, at the beach, with the sun rising in the background?" I asked, stalling only to make him more impatient.  
  
"Hell yeah," he answered enthusiastically. "Right here, right now. I won't letcha down," he said, giving me an over-exggerated wink.  
  
I thought for a moment. "Aright," I said finally.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Mmhmm... Right now, come on," I ordered. He smiled, laughed, and began unbuckling his belt. I laid my seat back again, then reached over his hands as they worked, to the release on his seat. He fell back with it, and landed with a soft thud. I laughed at him, then helped him get rid of the pants. When we were sufficiently undressed, I slid over onto his lap. He moved the seat all the way back, and I took control of the situation.  
  
Fifteen minutes, a few breathy "I love you's," and about a bajillion kisses later, we were on our way to Hector's, for real.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 52  
  
I sat on one end of the couch in complete silence. Not only was I refusing to talk to Leon, but my sister wasn't home yet and it had been nearly four hours. My elbow rested on the arm of the couch and I had my index finger on my temple. I closed my eyes and for the first time in my life... I prayed, for real. I wanted my sister and Dom to be ok, I didn't wanna have to pull off another daring escape for either of them.  
  
"Ya ok?" I heard Leon asked. I felt his hands on my knees and his thighs on either side of my legs. He was obviously kneeling in front of me.  
  
"Just worried about my sister," I answered quickly.  
  
"I hope they're both in jail," a bitter voice said next to me. I rolled my eyes then opened them to see Letty. "And you know what I say?" she continued.  
  
"Shut up," I said as a warning to her.  
  
"Good riddance," she finished. I shook my head, pushed Leon out my way, and stood up.  
  
"I have had about enough of your mouth," I said to her.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked with straight attitude.  
  
"I mean quit bad-mouthin my sister."  
  
"The fuck you talkin about? I thought we were friends."  
  
"We were," I answered quickly. "Blood is thicker than water."  
  
"You wanna make somethin of it?" Letty asked, getting in my face. And anyone who knew me knew that I wouldn't stand for that.  
  
"You got that will filled out correctly?" I asked. She laughed at me.  
  
"Real funny," she chuckled. Acting as though I didn't wanna fight her, I turned and started to walk away. I then spun around and jacked her right cheek with my left fist. She was caught by Hector on her way down to the ground.  
  
"Come on!" I yelled, putting my arms out. I started to run after her, but there was an arm around my shoulders and I was pulled away. "Get the fuck off me!" I demanded of the person holding on to me.  
  
"Calm down," I heard Dom's soothing voice in my ear. I continued kicking and punching the air in front of me, hoping I would slither out of his grasp, but that didn't happen.  
  
"Stop it!" my sister yelled as she entered the living room where the whole thing was taking place.  
  
"Someone has to put her in her place!" I yelled my reply.  
  
"Not by you! You're pregnant!" My breathing stopped and I looked at her. She didn't realize what she'd just said and when she did, she closed her eyes and swallowed hard.  
  
"I'm confused," Hector said. I ignored him and looked at Leon. His eyebrows were curled as he stared at Z with an open mouth. He finally looked at me and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Dom slowly put me down.  
  
"So," I said, breaking the silence. "Say something." I wanted to cry because of Z's big mouth, but I wouldn't let my weaknesses show. He remained quiet. "That's what I thought," I whispered and walked out the front door, down the stairs, and stood on the sidewalk. I looked up at the sky and my mind went blank. What had just happened?  
  
"I'm sorry," someone said. I turned and saw Dom standing next to me. He was the last person in the world I expected to come outside.  
  
"Why are you sorry?" I laughed. "You didn't say it, you're not the one who got me pregnant, you're not the one who just found out you're gonna be a father, you're not the one who's having the baby!"  
  
"I am the one who got married though," he said. I closed my eyes, shook my head, and looked at him.  
  
"What?" I stammered. He laughed and nodded.  
  
"Z and I... we got married in Vegas," he said.  
  
"Good for you," I said, nodding. I was happy for them, at least there was one happy couple. Someone cleared their throat from behind us and we both turned around to find Leon standing there.  
  
"Thanks," I said to Dom, thanking him for actually coming outside with me. We hugged quickly and he kissed my forehead. "My brother-in-law," I chanted, smiling. As he passed Leon, he patted his shoulder, but Leon appeared as though he didn't even feel it. He approached me and I began playing with the silver band he'd given me on my ring finger. If he was gonna ask for it back, he wasn't gettin it.  
  
"So," I urged him to say something.  
  
"We're gonna have a baby," he stated the obvious.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm gonna be a dad?" he asked, a smile tugging hard at his lips. I did the smiling for him.  
  
"Yeah," I whispered, nodding.  
  
"We're gonna have a family."  
  
"Going to?" I questioned his staying with me.  
  
"I'm not goin anywhere," he replied. I giggled as I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I pulled away and pressed our foreheads together.  
  
"We're havin a baby," I cooed. He smiled and we rubbed our noses before kissing again.  
  
"Can I come out now?! I'm dyin over here!" Dom exclaimed from behind the stairs. We laughed and invited him back over. We hugged again and he shared a quick, manly hug with Leon. We headed toward the stairs with me in the middle and my arms wrapped around theirs.  
  
"Oh, Dom and Z got married," I informed Leon.  
  
"No!" Leon breathed.  
  
"Yeah," Dom said.  
  
"They beat us," Leon said.  
  
"I know!" I exclaimed. "Speaking of getting married," I said, turning my attention to Dom. "I didn't see you guys come in, but did you carry my sister across the threshold?"  
  
"No," he answered. "We heard the yellin so we hurried inside."  
  
"Can't believe you didn't carry her across the threshold," I breathed as I headed inside Hector's apartment.  
  
"Everything ok?" Z quickly asked.  
  
"Fine," I said.  
  
"Where's Dom and Leon?" I turned toward the door just as they entered: Dom was carrying Leon across the threshold instead of my sister and Leon was sprinkling pink flower petals over Dom's head.  
  
"Oh... my... God," I said slowly.  
  
"Hey," Hector said, wandering over toward us. "The neighbors have those same flowers."  
  
"Not anymore," Leon said, smiling and nodding. He looked back at Dom and continued dropping the petals all around.  
  
"Fine," Z said. "If that's the way you want it. We're gettin a divorce," she said playfully. Dom looked at Leon just before dropping him. I gasped.  
  
"That wasn't very nice!" I said to Dom as I picked Leon up.  
  
"Oh my God!" Hector yelled. He had one hand on his forehead as he slowly sat on a stool at his bar. "One sister is pregnant and the other is pregnant and married?!"  
  
"Oh, no," Z stated. "I'm not pregnant." Hector muttered something in Spanish as he put his elbows on the bar. Leon and I headed toward the couch, which meant we had to pass Letty. As I did, our faces met centimeters apart and I kept looking at her as she walked the other way.  
  
"You need to control that funky ass temper of yours," Leon told me.  
  
"Shut up," I said playfully.  
  
We all finally settled down to watch a movie. Dom and I sat on the couch with Z and Leon between our legs. Hector was on the floor with Letty, Brian and Mia were on the recliner, and Vince was at the bar... he lived there. I had put in my favorite movie, "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," just because I loved Jason Mewes who played Jay.  
  
"I'd do 'em," I said, referring to Jason.  
  
"That must mean you'd do me too," Dom said. I looked at me with a lifted eyebrow.  
  
"Are you skinny with long hair?" I asked him.  
  
"No, but I'm big and bald."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"I am 110% more of a man than he is." I lightly slapped his cheek and pointed at him.  
  
"Fuck you baldy!" I said. Finally everyone was the way they should've been: happy.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 53  
  
We were on the third showing of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and I was seated on the floor with Dom, who'd been kicked off of the couch by Leon. He was sitting against the couch's bottom, with me pressed between his legs. His massive arms were resting on his bent knees, and I was examining his hands. The silver ring on his left ring finger was absolutely exquisite. I hadn't noticed it before, but the thing gleamed and sparkled in the dim lighting of Hector's apartment. It was breathtaking. I was married to this man, who had an incredible ring. I tried to watch the remainder of the movie, but I found my eyes were drawn repeatedly back to the silver band.  
  
"What's up?" Dom whispered seriously. His lips grazed my ear accidently, making me shiver.  
  
"Shut up over there!" Mercedes exclaimed, "Can you not see that we're trying to watch this movie?"  
  
"Yeah," Leon muttered, "for the third damn time..."  
  
"Hey you," my sister replied, pointing at him, "shh!"  
  
"Well, if you'll excuse us," Dom said, standing up. "Whoa! Head rush!" He leaned against the arm of the couch. I stood slowly and stretched my arms over my head. Dom grabbed my waist and pulled me to him, nearly knocking me over in the process. I let out a squeal, and was silently reprimanded by Mercedes and a stone-cold glare.  
  
"Sorry, sorry," I apologized. "Come along, Mr. Toretto," I said, stepping over Letty's legs. I couldn't see her face, but I'm sure I would've been happy.  
  
"Lead the way, Mrs. Toretto," he said just as maliciously. I watched him take on long stride over the other woman's body and I laughed as he almost ran into me. He walked behind me, and I was in no particular rush to get anywhere. I felt hands on my hips and arms around my waist. I kept walking, but leaned my head back, my eyes closed. I was scooped up, and tossed onto a bed. I giggled uncontrollably as Dom jumped next to me and began smothering my face and neck with kisses. I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him straight down, his face a mere inch away from mine. I kissed him softly, and his arms gave way, resulting in his falling on top of me. I moved my legs to allow him to slip between them, as we continued kissing. With every skin-to-skin touch, every motion, every breath, I fell more in love with him.  
  
Of course, as always, kissing Dom lead to other, more strenuous physical activities. The sun was now setting on the first day of our new life, and the moon would soon be out. I looked up, and saw Hector's mirrors. "I swear to God," I said softly, pulling the sheet to my chin, "Hector's gonna kick us out, just because he can't use his bed." Dom laughed his low, rumbling laugh, then put his hands behind his head as he lie next to me, otherwise unmoving and silent. I wondered what was going through his mind, because he'd been extremely quiet since Letty and Mercedes' altercation.  
  
I sat up and held the sheet to my now-heaving chest. I'd never get over how gorgeous he looked every night. Even if we hadn't been tumbling around, his body emitted a certain glow, one that was beautiful and peaceful.  
  
"What's the matter?" I asked, putting my head on his chest. He moved his arm to place it on my naked back, which had come uncovered as I moved to the awkward position. It felt good to have his strength around me. I was used to being the strong one, always on the lookout. It was nice to be with someone who knew the stress of total responsibility. We would make excellent parents.  
  
"Hector told me..." he started meekly, "that he had Edwin find your father... He knows where your dad is." I sat up and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, so what? So do I," I said nonchalantly. Dom's face contorted as he eyed me suspiciously, "Hector said you guys didn't know where he was."  
  
I sighed heavily and dropped my head. I rolled it from side to side, cracking my neck in various places. "Hector didn't know, Mercedes didn't know, but I know. I've known since he left." I didn't really feel like talking about it, but I knew that he was going to make me.  
  
"What? I'm confused," Dom said slowly, "Talk to me, Z. What happened?"  
  
I sighed again and began telling him about my parents. Being the eldest child, I recieved the brunt of the punishments, responsibilities, and memories from our home, so I was best equipped. Our father was a full- blooded, hot-tempered Mexican man by the name of Hector Garcia Moreno Sr. who, when Hector and Mercedes last saw him, had jet black hair, made of tight ringlet curls. His face, which had stayed burned into my mind, was handsome, and his skin was dark like mine. The three of us had his eyes, dark brown and emotional. I'd been 18 years old when he left, unable to deal with the stress of raising three kids on his own, after our mother's death.  
  
"What happened to your mother?" Dom asked softly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I continued with my story. I told him what I'd told Hector and Mercedes many times, that our parents were killed in an automobile accident. That's all they ever knew. They never knew the reality, which was that our mother was very ill, and had lost a lifelong battle with uterine cancer, and that it was too much for him to handle. Because I was 18, I was named the custodial guardian of my younger siblings, and was given the deed to our house, while our father left, looking for a better life. Not being one to completely disregard his obligations, he kept in touch with me and sent me money to raise my 15-year-old brother and 12-year- old sister, and keep us in the lifestyle to which we were accustomed.  
  
Of course, he'd remarried and had more kids, which I knew, but I'd never told anyone about. I knew where he was, and we continued corresponding until Mercedes was 18. Then, the letters stopped coming, we were old enough to take care of ourselves. Hector had already moved to the States, and our dad knew about Mercedes and I stealing cars, so he figured that he could finally begin his new life with his new family and forget all about us.  
  
"But I can't be mad at him," I said, smiling sadly, "because he took care of us as long as he would've, anyway." Dom was dombfounded. He sat there, indian style on the bed, completely naked, unable to speak.  
  
After a few long minutes of silence, he'd finally regained his composure long enough to say, "Tell me about your mom." I nodded and smiled, swallowing hard. It had always been harder for me to talk about her, because she was such an amazing person.  
  
My mother was an American woman named Rosa, born and raised in Texas. Her family owned a cattle ranch, which is how she met my father. He was a migrant worker, but after weeks of secret meetings, they decided to get married, settle down. My mother's parents were surprisingly helpful, and even offered to let them stay on the property, but my parents wanted a life of their own. They were summoned back to Mexico by his parents, who were very needy people. They hated my mother, but whenever she took us to see them, she always had her head held high, and was cordial and polite. My grandparents spoke no English, so they would talk between themselves in Spanish, not knowing that my mom had been speaking it since she could talk. I would ask her why she never said anything about it, and she always said that it was to, "retain an illusion... make them think they're superior."  
  
As far as I was concerned, my mother was the most beautiful woman in the world. She had tanned skin from long days working outside, and beautiful dark brown hair. Her eyes were the color of robin's eggs, and they always sparkled. I remember how crushed she was when she found out about her illness, but she never showed it. Then, one day, she was rushed to the hospital, and my father called to tell me she was gone.  
  
By this time, I was crying buckets, but Dom put his arms around me and said, "I won't say that I know what you're going through, but I'm here, and if you wanna get things right with your dad, I'll help you."  
  
Days after my heart-felt life story, Dom and I were looking for an apartment of our own, when my sister ran in. "Oh my God!" she said excitedly. As Leon jogged in after her, I asked what was going on, and she managed, through tears and yelps of excitement, to choke out, "It's a girl!" I jumped up and hugged her. We looked at each other and shrieked happily, jumping up and down.  
  
"I think Leon hates her," Mercedes whispered loudly, "becase he wants to name her Ashley." She rolled her eyes and Leon stepped forward.  
  
"I said Ashley Nicole," he protested, "and you said that you liked Nicole!"  
  
"And I do, but I'm sorry, I am not naming my baby Ashley," she turned to me and gave me a funny look. I laughed.  
  
"Hey, this is your argument, not mine!" I said, raising my hands, as if to say, 'It's up to you.'  
  
"What do you think, Dom?" Leon asked, "Ain't Ashley a good name?"  
  
"Hey man, this is your kid, I didn't knock her up!" Dom said, smiling. "I got my own to worry about."  
  
"What's that?" Mercedes questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Come again?"  
  
"I said, 'I got my own to worry about,'" Dom repeated slowly, "Ya catch that?"  
  
"Is there something I should know?" my sister asked, turning to me.  
  
"Not yet," I said, reclaiming my place next to Dom. She eyed me suspiciously, but continued on into the kitchen.  
  
Later that night, Dom had put on the outfit that my sister had bought for him, and I'd cornered him in the kitchen. "Where you goin dressed all sexy like that, Mr. Toretto?" I asked, sliding my arms around his waist. I hooked my fingers into his belt loops and looked up at him.  
  
"Got a race," he answered simply, kissing my forehead.  
  
"Oh?" I asked, suddenly full of attitude, "Were ya just not gonna tell me? Just, slip out the door unnoticed?" My hands had found their familiar place on my hip, and my voice assumed it's icy, lecturing tone. I watched as my husband ran his palms over his head and face and tried to ignore my firey temperament.  
  
"No, I was going to tell you," he said, "but I figured I'd wait til I was leaving."  
  
"Why, Dom? Why would you do that?" I asked, complete with attitude. He muttered something, then pushed past me to go into the living room.  
  
"Leon, V, let's roll," he said calmly. "Edwin!" he yelled. Edwin came dashing out of the bathroom, holding his pants.  
  
"What, man? Damn, can't a nigga take a piss around here?" he asked, looking at me with a strange look. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Dom.  
  
"You're stayin here, right?" he asked. Edwin nodded. "Aright. Love you babe," he said, moving to kiss me. I turned my head and his face ran into my cheek. He looked at me expectantly and tried again, with the same result. "Fine," he said, grabbing his jacket, "whatever." He said good-bye as he walked out the door, followed by Vince, and soon Leon, who had stopped to say his farewells to Mercedes. She was just as mad as I was.  
  
"Edwin!" I called.  
  
"Shit! Come on now," he whined, walking back down the hallway from the bathroom, "I really gotta piss!"  
  
"Little more info than we needed there, friend," Mercedes said sarcastically, flopping herself onto the couch.  
  
"Sorry... What, Z?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"Why aren't you going?" I enquired. As far as I knew, Edwin always raced. Always.  
  
"Cuz I'm s'posed t'watch ya'll two," he said, pointing at us.  
  
"Oh hell no," my sister and I said simultaneously.  
  
"Edwin, go on, go piss... Mercedes, get dressed," I said, walking into Hector's room.  
  
"What? Why?" he asked. I turned to look at the man who was still holding his pants on.  
  
"Because we're goin to that race, whether Dom likes it or not," I replied with conviction. Edwin rolled his eyes, huffed, and walked back into the bathroom. Mercedes and I changed into suitable attire, and were putting on make-up when Edwin emerged form the bathroom.  
  
"You do know that Dom's gonna kill me, right?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe to Hector's bedroom, "I'm'a be one dead nigga. Gon' be on da news an' shit..."  
  
"Shut up and get your car ready," Mercedes said forcefully. Edwin stood there for a moment, stunned. "Go," she said. He didn't move. "I know you're not gonna tell a pregnant Mexican 'no,'" she said, her voice much like mine had been previously. He must've come out of his shock, because he turned and went outside. I heard the car roar to life, and sent my sister outside after him.  
  
I found a sticky note and a pen, and left a note on the TV for whoever came home: 'We all left. Be back soon. Z.' Then I walked out, locked the door, and ran downstairs to the waiting car.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 54  
  
Being the non-fat pregnant woman of the group, I was ordered to sit in the backseat by my older, overprotective sister. And, acting like I was a two- year-old, she buckled my seatbelt for me! I didn't say anything to her because all the while she had the biggest smile on her face I'd ever seen. I wasn't sure if she was smiling because of her recent marriage to Dom or her future niece.  
  
We rode in silence. Edwin was still pissed basically because of his 'kidnapping', and Z still had that stupid grin on her face. I, on the other hand, was beginning to feel sick. I suddenly began to realize why so many women hated pregnancy. But something else caught my attention: how slowly the white lines on the road were passing us.  
  
"You know you drive almost slow enough to drive Miss Daisy," I told Edwin. My sister giggled.  
  
"Yeah, I thought you were a racer," she said.  
  
"Hey," he started. "I got a woman wit' a baby in the backseat and I ain't about to crash this car killin one or bof' of 'em then havin Leon and Dom on my ass!" I smiled. His comment was kinda sweet.  
  
"Besides, does this look like a racing car?" he asked.  
  
"Hells yes!" I exclaimed. "This is a Hemi Cuda if you didn't notice."  
  
"I noticed... it's not a racin car," he argued.  
  
"Oh shut your mouth!" I said.  
  
We finally arrived at the race scene and we got out. Almost immediately, Dom had stomped over to us. He stood in front of me, glaring down on me like I was the only one who got out the car.  
  
"Surprise!" I exclaimed, thrusting my arms out. He continued staring at me. "Isn't it your birthday?" I asked, slowly looking at Z and Edwin for a little help.  
  
"I told you not to come," he said.  
  
"It was him!" Z and I said, pointing to Edwin.  
  
"'Ey!" he yelled, putting his hands up.  
  
"Edwin," Dom yelled.  
  
I smiled and scanned the crowd for Leon, not really wanting to hang around for the beating Edwin was gonna get. I found him... talking to another woman. I pulled my skirt up, ran my fingers through my hair, and slowly, but sexily walked over to them. When Leon saw me, his eyes grew big and he froze. I spun around on my toes so I was facing the girl and standing between them. I arched an eyebrow and my hand found my hip. The girl put her hands up and walked away. I turned to Leon with an expecting look on my face, I wanted an explanation.  
  
"Well, hello," he forced. "You weren't supposed to be here." I continued looking at him, not saying anything. "Love you," he chanted, walking passed me. I laughed as I grabbed his tank top, spun him around, and kissed him roughly.  
  
"Mmm..." he purred against my lips. He pressed his forehead to mine. "Maybe I should misbehave more often."  
  
"If I see you talking to that hoe again," I said. "I'll cut off your manhood."  
  
"Ooh..." he whispered, his eyes squinting. "That wouldn't be fun."  
  
"No," I said, shaking my head.  
  
He took my hand and led me through the crowd to the middle where Dom was now standing. I watched him lecture the entire group of people and it was boring to me because I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. I turned to Leon because I was gonna ask him what this was all about, but I couldn't speak. He looked amazing, like usual, but this night in particular. He was wearing his sexy white wife-beater, baggy blue jeans with his wallet chain, all that was normal. But he'd slipped on a black beanie and had a toothpick in his mouth. I almost fell over.  
  
"3 G buy in," Dom said, catching my attention.  
  
"What he say?" I stuttered, turning toward Dom.  
  
"3 G buy in," Leon repeated.  
  
"Three... thousand... dollars," I breathed.  
  
"That's a lot more than he usually bets," Leon said. Dom finished his speech and the other three racers placed their rolled up cash in my brother's hand. Leon put his hand on my back and led me out of the crowd with Dom, Z, and Hector following. I grabbed Hector's shirt and pulled him next to me.  
  
"You're gonna steal that right?" I asked. He laughed at me and told me that he was gonna hold it then give it to the winner, which was gonna be Dominic. "Oh, well then it's all good," I said.  
  
"Honey..." Leon whined. But I was too busy lookin at 12,000 dollars in my brother's hand.  
  
"Umm... C'I hold that?" I asked Hector, pointing to the cash.  
  
"Sweetie," Leon said, grabbing my hand.  
  
"I'm talking to my brother!" I stammered.  
  
"Get outta here Mercedes," Hector said.  
  
"But..." I started. Before I could finish my sentence, I was picked up by Leon and carried toward his car. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he looked at me.  
  
"Do you love me?" I asked. He slightly nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," he said. "I mean, I am marrying you."  
  
"You're marrying me because I'm pregnant aren't you!" I yelled, pretending to cry.  
  
"Now that is a harsh indictment," he said. I giggled and kissed him on the cheek as I was finally set on the ground. We got in the car and he flipped on the police scanners. After a few seconds of listening to the static voices feed numbers to the other people, Leon pulled out his cellphone.  
  
"I got a 7-11 in San Dimas, we're a go," he said.  
  
"What's a 7-11?" I asked.  
  
"Drive by."  
  
"There was a drive by in San Dimas?!" I asked, my eyebrows curling and my eyes wide. San Dimas was about 2 miles long.  
  
"I know that was strange to me, too," Leon said, nodding.  
  
I looked toward the race and the crowd had broken up and were now lined up along the street. I saw Dom's red car on the far left, then a blue one, a white one, and a green one. Fire blew from their tailpipes before Hector gave the sign and yelled 'Go!' They sped off at what seemed like full speed and the cheering began. I wasn't all that interested, so I laid the seat back and shut my eyes. I felt Leon's hand on my stomach. I smiled and placed my hands on his, but didn't move.  
  
"Did you know there's a baby growin inside of you?" he asked just when I was about to fall asleep. I opened my eyes only to roll them in his direction.  
  
"Thanks for the late breaking news Dan Rather," I said.  
  
"Just tryin to make conversation," he said, laying his head against the headrest.  
  
"Yeah? Do it in sign language," I said, motioning with my hands.  
  
"Dom won," I heard my brother's voice filter throughout the car. "He's the winner."  
  
"Surprise, surprise," Leon said, putting the cellphone to his lips again. He told me he was gonna go congratulate Dom and for me to stay put.  
  
"Alright," I sighed.  
  
"Promise me," he said.  
  
"Where'm I gonna go?!" I yelled. He laughed, kissed my cheek, then got out and jogged toward the group of people surrounding Dom's car. After a few minutes of being really bored, I got out and leaned my back against the car door.  
  
"You're not too happy," I heard a familiar voice. I turned around to see the short Korean man again.  
  
"What do you want?" I asked. He walked around the car with his hand gliding over the trunk and stood next to me.  
  
"I know what could make you happy," he said calmly.  
  
"You're gonna find a way to drop dead within the next 5 seconds?" I asked. He was not impressing me.  
  
"I know where to find your father," he whispered.  
  
"Me too," I said. "He died when I was 12." He laughed quietly before slowly walking toward the same black Mercedes. He stopped and turned to look at me.  
  
"Ya know the moment of realization is worth... a thousand prayers," he said. He got in the car and drove off.  
  
"What?!" I whispered to myself.  
  
----------------  
  
Part 55  
  
I was celebrating with Dom, Hector, and the gang, when I looked for Mercedes. I knew she wasn't in the mood to be around Dom and everyone, but I didn't know where she was and I was worried. I frantically scanned the scene, hoping to find some sight of my little sister. Eventually, my eyes landed on her and I was able to breathe again, but before I got too comfortable, I noticed that she was talking to someone.  
  
"Holy shit..." I whispered, "Lance, you bastard!" I turned to Dom, who had his arm draped over the shoulders of some white girl with long blonde hair and a Hollywood body. He was laughing heartily as my brother proceeded to tell an un-funny joke that I'd heard times before. I flung a deadly glare at him, and his laughter stopped abruptly. He cast his eyes down, removed his arm from the girl's shoulders and followed me as I stomped away.  
  
"Z! Baby! Wait!" he said, grabbing my arm. He spun me around and I yanked myself free and stared at him. He looked at me, then looked at the ground. He knew I was upset, but he found my one weakness. "Here," he said meekly, handing the money he'd won to me, "I won all this money, you can have it!" His arm was extended toward me, with the bills fanned out for me to take. I almost grabbed the money, but looked back at where my sister was, noting that Lance had taken flight. I pushed Dom's hand out of the way.  
  
"I don't want your money, I want your keys," I said sternly. He looked at me with disbelief.  
  
"You're joking right?" I said nothing, but held my hand out expectantly. He looked at me to make sure that I was serious, then groaned and pulled the keys slowly out of his pocket.  
  
"Come on!" I exclaimed. If I was gonna catch up to Lance, I needed to leave. Dom huffed as he placed the keys in my hand and began rambling on about being careful with his car. I turned around and ran to the car, ignoring him.  
  
"Where you goin?" Hector called, seeing me leave. I ignored him as well, as I was also mad at him for letting Dom hang onto some sleaze. I jumped into the driver's seat and took off.  
  
"Fuck!" I screamed, slamming my hand against the steering wheel. I was mad at Dom, I was mad at Hector, and I was mad at Lance. I sped into the desert, headed intently toward Santa Monica.  
  
The car came to a screeching halt as I slammed on the brakes in front of the large mansion I'd made my way to. The gate was closed, so I drove to the keypad. I punched violently into the keypad the page number that I'd been given.  
  
"Hello?" came a woman's voice. "Who's there?"  
  
"Zoraida," I said roughly. I felt foolish for being harsh with the machine, and slunk back into the seat to wait for the gate to open. It did after a short pause and I rolled into the driveway and saw the same black Benz that had been parked near my sister. "That fuckin guy..." I mumbled.  
  
I jogged up the stairs. The door was open before I reached it. I stared into the expressive eyes of the older man in front of me. His hair was grayer than I'd anticipated, but his face still maintined its powerful, intimidating quality. My eyes wanted to tear up as I stared at the man I'd never forgotten about, even after ten long years. "Papi?" I asked, my voice cracking.  
  
"Zoraida..." he replied seriously. I looked at his face and saw no emotion, but that's how I remembered him. He always kept a stolid appearance when he was thinking or dealing with his feelings. After a few miuntes of silence, he stepped aside to invite me in. I walked in and was greeted by a grand staircase, above which hung the biggest chandelier I'd ever seen. My father turned to usher me into a room, and I followed him. As I walked, I noticed something I hadn't before. My sister and I were our parents. I looked more like my dad than my mom, I walked like him, and I had his firey temper, which was always on high heat. My sister, however, was like our mother. She had her features, her cooler demeanor, her laugh. Hector, somehow, managed to be the perfectly balanced mixture of the two. He resembled our mom more, but it was obvious that he was his father's son.  
  
We walked into a large study, which contained numerous chairs, shelves filled with books, and a large, wooden desk. He pulled a chair from the desk for me, and I sat slowly down. Then he walked around the desk to sit across from me. We sat in silence for a long while. I stared at my father, and he stared back. I couldn't believe how much older he looked, and I'm sure it was hard for him to concieve of the growth I'd achieved.  
  
His eyes lit up as if he'd remembered something, and he yanked open a drawer on his left. He pulled a few items out of it, setting them on the desk. After a few moments of frustrated searching, he found what he was looking for. I was handed a small, bent, faded photograph. My breath almost stopped when I saw it. It was the last picture that we'd taken as a family, a year after my sister was born. My eyes welled up with tears as I traced the picture with my fingers, touching my mother's face lingeringly. I hadn't realized how much I missed my parents until that very moment. I looked at my father, who was staring at me expectantly.  
  
"Papi," I started. His hand went up and I was silenced.  
  
"I know why you came," he said slowly, his accent still thick in his voice. He never mentioned having learned English, so I was a little startled as he continued, "And I've taken care of it. You shouldn't be here." I looked at him incredulously. Was this the man who'd taken us to circuses and parks as children? Was this the man who, when his baby boy was born, he was so overcome with joy that he cried like he'd never stop? Was this my daddy?  
  
"Papi," I said softly, "I'm here because your boy's startin trouble... And Mercedes... Oh Papi," I said, looking up at him, "She's gonna have a baby! You've gotta see her!" His expression didn't change. I slunk back into my chair, ashamed by my sudden outbrst. He was the only person in the world who intimidated me, even after not having seen him for ten years. His drak brown eyes met mine, and I could see that he'd missed us.  
  
"I'll see her," he said after at least five minutes of silence and concentration. A smile threatened to take over his eyes as he thought about his little baby, ready to have one of her own. I thanked him and gave him the number to Hector's and my cell phone number.  
  
"We'll talk," he said, ushering me out the front door. I stepped outside and the door shut quickly behind me. I looked at it, then walked slowly to Dom's car. I gave one last glance at the house before I sped away, hoping to get back to Hector's before Mercedes got worried.  
  
Luckily, when I arrived, my sister wasn't trippin. In fact, she was calm... Almost. "Hector, quit your damn cheatin, this ain't Uno!" she yelled, throwing a pretzel at his head. I looked at the table where Brian, Mercedes, Edwin, Hector, Dom and Leon all sat, and seeing the red, white, and blue chips on the table, I knew they were playing poker. The one game that Mercedes and I were both awesome at. 


End file.
